Hubert Robert

J. Fauchier-Magnan;
sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 17 June 1968, lot 49;
sale, London, Sotheby's, 5 July 1993, lot 82

Laid down on paper and hinge mounted. There are some small areas of foxing and surface dirt and an old crease to the lower right corner. There is a small hole to the lower centre of the sheet and an abrasion to the upper right corner. The medium is strong throughout.
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 large and impressive drawing does not appear to represent a real view but is most probably a capriccio.  Robert uses the motif of the bridge in many of his compositions and this sheet is not dissimilar in its compositional structure to his painting of Les Grandes Roches et le Pont de Méréville, in the National Museum of Stockholm.¹  The bridge serves as a central focal point and the rocks and edifice either side act as repoussoir framing devices, leading our eye into the composition.  Another similar view is known through a counterproof, Pont ménant à un temple et personnages au bord de la rivière, in Besançon.²

1.  J. de Cayeux, Hubert Robert et Les Jardins, Paris 1987, p. 106, no. 82
2.  Les Hubert Robert de Besançon, exhib.cat., Besançon, Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon, 2013, p. 141, no. 113, reproduced