Pierre-Jacques Volaire came from a well-known family of painters in Toulon; his father was the city's official painter. Called *le chevalier Volaire* (knight Volaire), his career really began in 1754, when Joseph Vernet arrived, sent by Louis XV to paint French ports. Vernet took Volaire as his assistant, and they traveled together for eight years. Volaire was strongly influenced by Vernet's sharp
