Hubert Robert

French Noble Collection for at least the past sixty years

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas is lined and the paint layer is stable but a little raised in places. The varnish has discoloured and due to the coarse nature of the canvas has tended to settle in the minute lacunae of the surface giving rise to a slightly broken image. The paint texture and impasto are intact and the brushstrokes and colours are well preserved. Under U-V light some small retouchings are visible where spots of varnish and fine pale shrinkage cracks have been reduced. The removal of the discoloured varnish would improve the tonality, imparting a coolness to the composition. Overall, the painting is in a very good condition. Offered in an ornate gilt wood frame with some loss."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

A painter, draughtsman, etcher and landscape designer, Hubert Robert was one of the most successful and prolific painters in 18th-century France. He specialised in architectural scenes such as this in which topographical and architectural elements derived from the monuments of ancient and modern Italy and France were combined in imaginative and fanciful settings. Although clearly imaginary, in scenes such as this Robert would have composed his design from a conflation of motifs inspired by drawings he had made during his stay in Italy. During his eleven year sojourn, which ended when he returned to Paris 1765, he made numerous studies of all the principal gardens such as those at Caprarola, the Villa Aldobrandini or the Villa d'Este, and these motifs were then incorporated into his paintings. The compositional idea of  fountains in bright sunshine seen through the deep shadow of flanking architecture was quite possibly inspired by the effects of the Villa Giulia in Rome or perhaps the steep staircases and fountains of the famous Teatro delle Acque in the Villa Aldobrandini.