Hubert Robert

Carmen Oliden de Zuberbühler, Buenos Aires, by whom purchased sometime between 1948 and 1952;
Thence by descent to Josefina Zuberbühler de García Fernández;
Thence by descent to the present owners.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has not been restored for many years and requires some attention. The canvas is made from two sections of canvas joined horizontally through the center of the painting. In the upper section of the pyramid some thinness has developed to the paint layer which has been retouched. These retouches are slightly discolored and are visible to the naked eye. However, in the lower portion of the pyramid, the sculpture, the figures and the reminder of the painting, the condition seems to be very encouraging. The canvas needs to be re-lined and properly cleaned, but with the exception of the original join and some thinness in the upper part of the pyramid needing retouching, the remainder of the painting is in very healthy state.
"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."

Paintings such as this, with its romanticized pastoral scene, warm afternoon light, and antique monuments, exemplify Robert's oeuvre produced towards the end of his sojourn in Rome, circa 1764. Robert arrived in Rome in 1754 among the entourage of the French Ambassador to the Holy See, the Comte de Stainville. He continued to be supported from the highest levels during his stay, not least by the Marquis de Marigny, Mme. de Pompadour's brother, and the Duc de Choiseul, made French Foreign Minister in 1758, who was his protector. During his eleven years in Rome, Robert produced countless architectural sketches in the Roman campagna, many with figures that reflect the influence of Salvator Rosa. Although Robert did paint true representations of certain ruins, like the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, or in the present example the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome, many of the ruins he depicts are combined as inventions, or fantasies, only partly based on reality. The scene here is highly romanticized and would have appealed greatly to Robert's enormous following of wealthy clients at home, in Paris, and abroad.

This work is to be included in the catalogue raisonné of the oil paintings of Hubert Robert being prepared by The Wildenstein Institute.