JEAN-SIMON BERTHÉLEMY | Elegant company walking in the gardens of a Roman villa

Laid down on card which has subsequently been hinge mounted to a modern mount. There is some very minor foxing to the sky. Otherwise this work remains in very fine condition, with the medium fresh and vibrant throughout and the image strong.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This light-filled drawing, confidently executed in red chalk, can be compared on stylistic grounds to a fine sheet depicting a Landscape with cypresses in the garden of the Villa d’Este in the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Orléans.¹ The Orléans sheet had, since at least 1878, been regarded as the work of Jean-Honoré Fragonard, before Nathalie Volle attributed it to Fragonard's contemporary, Jean-Simon Berthélemy in 1979. ^1. Inv. no. 727; N. Volle, Jean-Simon Berthélemy (1743-1811), Paris 1979, p. 111, no. 131, fig. 99, reproduced