Sherlock Holmes and the French Connection
“To some extent,” he answered thoughtfully, “my ancestors were country squires, who appear to have led much the same life as is natural to their class. But, none the less, my turn that way is in my veins and may have come with my grandmother, who was the sister of Vernet, the French artist. Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms.” “But how do you know it is hereditary?” “Because my brother Mycroft possesses it in a larger degree than I do.”
— Sherlock Holmes in “The Greek Interpreter”
I have always been intrigued by Mr. Holmes’ French ancestry. So little is known about him, that I took it upon myself to “investigate” the history of the Vernet family. I was almost overwhelmed with what I was able to discover. Here I share with you, dear reader, the essence of my labours.
Coin featuring Horace Vernet (b. Emile Jean Horace 1789-1863)
Note from Wendy:
Consider and compare these Canonical descriptions of Sherlock Holmes as you study Horace Vernet’s image shown above: He had thin, firm, lips; steady grey eyes, particularly sharp and piercing, with a far away introspective look when he was exerting his full powers; thin eager face; dolichocephalic skull (long narrow head); long thin nose, thin hawk-like nose; brows with well-marked supra-orbital development (brow ridge). Also, note Horace Vernet’s self-portrait.
Early Origins of the Vernet Family
The surname Vernet was first found in Ile-de-France, where the family had been prominent for centuries and held a family seat with lands and manor. Mr. Holmes used the term “country squires” to describe his ancestors. Squire is a British term for a country landowner or gentleman. Several members of the Vernet family distinguished themselves through their contributions towards the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands and titles.
The Vernets — A Family of French Artists
Antoine Vernet (1689-1753) was a very successful artisan and decorative painter. His sons Jean-Antoine (1716-1755) painted seascapes and Antoine-François (1730-1779) was also a decorative painter. Another son, Claude Joseph (1714-1789), studied in Rome where he acquired an excellent reputation throughout Europe as a leading landscape and seascape artist. He was summoned to Paris in 1753 and was commissioned by King Louis XV to paint a famous series of seaports of France. His 14 completed works now hang in the Louvre.
A Harbor in Moonlight, Joseph Vernet, 1787
Claude Joseph’s son, Carle (b. Antoine Charles Horace 1758-1835) rose to fame during the empire with drawings of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Italian campaign. The Battle of Marengo (which now hangs in Versailles) and Morning in Austerlitz are two of his best-known works. Under the Restoration, he was also popular as a lithographer and painter of dogs, horses and scenes of the hunt. Carle never quite achieved the success of his father or his son, Horace (b. Emile Jean Horace 1789-1863). Carle was also father to Camille Françoise Josephine (1788-1858).
The Battle Of Marengo, 23 Prairial, Year 8, Horace Vernet, 1800
Camille Françoise Josephine Vernet:
Grandmother of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes
Camille and her brother Horace were born in the Louvre, where the family lived for a short time during the French Revolution in 1789 and 4 years hence. Little is known about Camille since she was overshadowed by her famous father, brother and husband, Hippolite Le Comte (1781-1857) – also an artist. Camille married Le Comte at the age of 19 in Paris. The couple had four children.
Horace Vernet:
Grand-Uncle of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes
Self-Portrait with Pipe, Horace Vernet, 1835
Horace Vernet (b. Emile Jean Horace) who was a Bonapartist, quickly developed a disdain for the high-minded seriousness of academic French art, which was distinguished by subjects taken mostly from contemporary life. Instead, he depicted masterful battle scenes and French soldiers in a familiar manner rather than the idealized fashion popular at the time. One painting that demonstrates his direct style is the “Dog of the Regiment Wounded”.
The Dog of the Regiment Wounded, Horace Vernet, 1819
He gained recognition during the early part of the Bourbon Restoration (1814-1830) and was granted many commissions by the future King Louis-Philippe. Critics marveled at the incredible speed with which he painted. His paintings were also noted for their historical accuracy as well as their vivid landscapes. One anecdote maintains that when Horace was asked to remove a certain obnoxious general, he replied, “I am a painter of history, sire, and I will not violate the truth.” (This comment reminds me of those made by Mr. Holmes during the course of his many adventures since he is always dedicated to finding the truth in any problematic situation.) An example of Horace’s style is the “The Battle of Hanau” (1824).
The Battle of Hanau, Horace Vernet, 1824
During the Restoration his studio was a centre of political intrigue as well as a meeting place for sportsmen and writers.
By 1826 he accomplished a great deal having been awarded a Cross of the Legion of Honour conferred by Napoleon Bonaparte, joining the Freemasons in England, and was elected to the Academie des Beaux-Artes. From 1825-1835 he was the Director of the French Academy of Rome. In 1835 he became a professor at the Academie des Beaux-Artes, a position he held for his lifetime.
The King requested Horace to paint a gallery of the fruits of colonization for Versailles. He travelled to Northern Africa in 1833.
Turk with Hookah, Horace Vernet, 1834
Arab Warrior, Horace Vernet, ca. 1817–22
1837 was the inauguration of the Historical Museum at Versailles. Three large scale Horace Vernet paintings were installed in the Gallery of Battles. He created a portrait of King Louis-Philippe with his sons posing in front of the gates of the palace.
King Louis-Philippe of France and his sons leaving the Chateau of Versailles on horseback, Horace Vernet, 1846
Just 10 months after the invention of the daguerreotype, an intrigued Horace Vernet traveled to Egypt and Malta to take daguerreotypes which were converted into engravings for a book.
That same year he also travelled to Russia and spent almost 12 months with Tsar Nicholas I. He was also made a Commander of the Legion of Honour that year and by 1862 he was made a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour.
And so ends my “investigation” of Mr. Sherlock and Mr. Mycroft Holmes’ French ancestors, their grandmother, Camille Le Comte (nee’ Vernet) and grand uncle, the artist Horace Vernet. I do hope it provides some answers to the questions surrounding their familial lineage. Art in the blood does, it appears, to be hereditary.
Photo courtesy of Fabienne Courouge
Horace Vernet is remembered by a street, Rue Horace Vernet, in the small town of Thouars in the Deux Sevres, France to this very day.
Illustration of French Soldiers Cooking Chicken Marengo, by Stefano Bianchetti , 1900
Recipe
Chicken Marengo
Serves 4 with rice and a tossed green salad.
In mid-June 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte's troops were engaged in battle with Austrian forces near the small village of Marengo in northern Italy. The battle was fierce and Napoleon was both victorious and hungry. He asked his chef to prepare a meal quickly and the cook scoured the countryside looking for ingredients. He discovered a chicken, mushrooms, olive oil, tomatoes, herbs, eggs and crawfish. Within minutes, a fire was started and the chef prepared a quick sauté of the chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms, oil and herbs. It is said that he garnished the dish before serving it with a fried egg and crawfish.
Ingredients
1 3-pound chicken cut into serving pieces
Salt to taste (if desired)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups thinly sliced mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ tsp. finely minced garlic
1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups cored and cubed red ripe tomatoes (or use canned tomatoes)
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh parsley
Garnish with a fried egg and cooked crawfish (or substitute shrimp) as desired
Method
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken pieces skin-side down. Cook until golden brown on one side, about five minutes.
Turn the pieces and cook on the other side about two minutes.
Pour off the fat from the skillet.
Scatter the mushrooms over the chicken. Stir to distribute.
Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom of the pan.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth and parsley. Bring to the boil.
Cover and cook 10 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the fried egg and crawfish or shrimp for a garnish if desired.
Recipe
Beef Wellington
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in Belgium. Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by a British-led coalition under the command of the Duke of Wellington. The battle marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars. This dish is actually French, but was re-named during the 19th Century wars with France. Serves 4. (Note: Beef Wellington was originally made with pate’ de fois gras but has been modified since this ingredient is becoming increasingly rare. It is actually outlawed in some countries.) The recipe itself is adapted from Chef Gordon Ramsay.
Ingredients
1 pound beef tenderloin filet
Coarse & table salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound mushrooms (half cremini, half shiitake is a nice combination)
4 thin slices ham (Parma or prosciutto)
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard (Coleman's Original English Mustard is good, as is a fine Dijon)
7 ounces puff pastry (needs 3 hours to defrost in the refrigerator if using frozen),
2 egg yolks, beaten
Method
Season the fillet generously with table salt and pepper.
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large pan on high heat.
Sear the fillet in a sauté pan on all sides until well browned (hint: do not move the fillet until it has had a chance to brown).
Remove the filet from the pan and let cool.
Once cooled, brush the fillet on all sides with mustard.
Chop the mushrooms coarsely and put them into a food processor and purée. Heat the sauté pan on medium high heat.
Transfer the mushroom purée into the pan and cook, allowing the mushrooms to release their moisture.
When the moisture released by the mushrooms has boiled away, remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside to cool.
Roll out a large piece of plastic wrap.
Lay out the slices of ham on the plastic wrap so that they overlap. Spread the mushroom mixture over the ham.
Place the beef filet in the middle, roll the mushroom and ham over the fillet, using the plastic wrap so that you do this tightly.
Wrap up the beef filet into a tight barrel shape, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to secure it.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to a size that will wrap around the beef fillet.
Unwrap the fillet from the plastic wrap and place in the middle of the pastry dough. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg yolks.
Fold the pastry around the fillet, cutting off any excess at the ends (pastry that is more than 2 layers thick will not cook all the way, try to limit the overlap).
Place on a small plate, seam side down, and brush beaten egg yolks all over the top. Chill for 5-10 minutes.
Place the pastry-wrapped fillet on a baking pan. Brush the exposed surface again with beaten eggs.
Score the top of the pastry with a sharp knife, not going all the way through the pastry. Sprinkle the top with coarse salt.
Bake at 400°F for 25-35 minutes. The pastry should be nicely golden when done.
To ensure that your roast is medium rare, test with an instant read meat thermometer.
Pull out at 125-130°F for medium rare.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice in 1-inch thick slices.
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