Pierre-Paul Prud'hon

Laid down on old mount which has been trimmed. Foxing visible, scattered on the surface. The colors are much stronger than in catalogue illustration, black chalk and white heightening. Strong and good condition.
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Pierre-Paul Prud'hon is known for his drawings using black and white chalk on blue paper, mostly portraits and academies.  Few studies of landscapes by the artist have come down to us.

This work can be related to another drawing by Prud'hon entitled Landscape said to be of Malmaison, formerly in the Thaw Collection and now in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.¹  Comparing the two works emphasizes how pre-romantic the present drawing is, especially in the very subtle handling of the tree.  It also shows the strong influence of the 18th century in its classical composition, with an arch that could have been taken from Hubert Robert's landscapes.

1. See S. Laveissière, Prud'hon ou le rêve du Bonheur, exhibition catalogue, Paris, Grand Palais, 1997-1998, no. 216