- 91
Attributed to Hubert Robert
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Hubert Robert
- An architectural capriccio with figures amongst Roman ruins
- Pen and grey ink and watercolor over black chalk on three joined sheets of paper;
bears initials and date in pen and brown ink, verso: Le 4 Octobre 1761 HR
Provenance
Maurice de Wendel;
with Galerie Cailleux, April 1951 (Le dessin Français de Watteau à Prud’hon, no. 117);
sale, Paris, Hôtel Georges V, salon Vendôme, 18 March 1981, lot 103
with Galerie Cailleux, April 1951 (Le dessin Français de Watteau à Prud’hon, no. 117);
sale, Paris, Hôtel Georges V, salon Vendôme, 18 March 1981, lot 103
Literature
J.H. Fragonard e H. Robert a Roma, exhib. cat., Rome, Villa Medici, 1991, p. 57, under no. 5 (as a later drawing or a replica ?)
Condition
Window mounted, on three joined sheets of paper. Overall in good condition. A few tiny brown stains, barely visible. A few small nicks/tears at the lower margin. Otherwise colors fresh and overall image powerful.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
Hubert Robert's extensive studies of the ruins of antiquity provided him with much visual material for both his paintings and his drawings. His inclusion of figures in many of his views not only emphasizes the scale of the grandiose monuments but also serves to animate them with scenes of everyday life. Like many of his contemporaries, he was not always concerned with producing accurate topographical views but rather with creating powerful capricci by uniting and grouping together ancient sculptures and monuments. This impressive drawing incorporates some of the most emblematic monuments of the Eternal City: the Pantheon, the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, Trajan’s Column, the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Sarcophagus of Constantine. A similar drawing by Robert, with some differences in the staffage, entitled Ruins and dated 1758, is in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.
The panoramic format, unusual in Robert's work, suggests that this drawing was made with a specific project in mind; it may well be a design for an overdoor.