Hubert Robert

F. Renaud (L.1042);
A.C. Kidson;
sale, London, Christie's, 22 November 1966, lot 139;
sale, New York, Christie's, 24 January 2001, lot 119

Les Hubert Robert de Besançon, exhib. cat., Besançon, Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie, 2013-14, p. 148, under no. 120, reproduced fig. 120a

Laid down on an old mount. The sheet is in predominantly very fine condition with only some very small areas of surface dirt. The red chalk medium is fresh and vibrant throughout. Sold in a giltwood frame.
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Robert was in Rome from 1754 to 1765.  He was sent to the French Academy by the Comte de Stainville (later the Duc de Choiseul) and seems to have established himself there quickly, earning a good report as well as commissions.  Aside from studying classical antiquities and architecture, the students were urged to go out and draw in the countryside.  Robert also studied extensively the ancient ruins, particularly the Forum, providing himself with ample motifs for future paintings and drawings.  His inclusion of figures in many of his views not only emphasizes the scale of the grandiose monuments but also animates them with scenes of daily activity.

Here in this elegant and sensitive composition we see two soldiers resting in the countryside, pointing to an ancient ruined monument that resembles a mausoleum.  Robert has manipulated his medium of red chalk to create subtle contrasts in the drawing.  The trees and vegetation are depicted in a stronger red tone than the ruined architecture, cleverly allowing for more depth in the landscape but also heightening the subtle nuances of light and shade.  The large tree to the left of the composition provides the perfect repoussoir device to this charming and wonderfully fresh red chalk drawing.

A counterproof of this drawing is at the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie in Besançon.¹

^1. Les Hubert Robert de Besançon, op. cit., p. 148, no. 120, reproduced