Hubert Robert

With H. Shickman Gallery, New York;
Christian Humann, New York,
his estate sale, New York, Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., 30 April 1982, lot 76, reproduced (purchased by the present owner)

Laid down to a thin piece of support paper. Overall in very good condition. The red chalk is strong. The sheet is also in very good condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This charming drawing, which Marianne Roland Michel has dated to circa 1765-68,¹ shows a young boy climbing a tree and losing his hat in the process.  He was perhaps looking to rob a bird's nest but has lost his hold and hangs precariously onto a limb while his concerned companions look on.  A counterproof of the drawing is in the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéogie de Besançon.² 

1.  Marianne Roland Michel in verbal communication to the present owner, 30 January 1997
2.  See Hubert Robert (1733-1808) et Saint-Pétersbourg, exhib. cat., Musée de Valence, 1999, pp. 190-91, no. 50