A Decorative Sculpture with a Woman Seen from Behind
1754/1765
Medium
graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
Overall: 6.7 x 12.7 cm (2 5/8 x 5 in.) support: 15.6 x 21.5 cm (6 1/8 x 8 7/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Julius S. Held Collection, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1984.3.25
Art Historical Context
Hubert Robert's *A Decorative Sculpture with a Seen from Behind* (ca. 1754–1765) is a delicate graphite drawing on laid paper, measuring just 6.7 x 12.7 cm on a support of 15.6 x 21.5 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art Julius S. Held CollectionAilsa Mellon Bruce), this intimate study captures a female figure in sculptural form viewed from behind, evoking the elegance of classical antiquity. French artist Hubert Robert (1733–1808), often called "Robert des Ruines," was a leading figure in 18th-century neoclassicism, renowned for his romanticized landscapes filled with ancient ruins and ...
About the Artist
Hubert Robert · 1733–1808
Hubert Robert, born on May 22, 1733, in Paris, emerged from a modest background; his father, Nicolas Robert, served the influential Choiseul family, whose patronage shaped the young artist's path. After completing his studies at the Jesuit Collège de Navarre in 1751, he entered the atelier of sculptor Michel-Ange Slodtz, who taught him design and perspective before encouraging a shift to painting....