Figures on a Monumental Interior Stairway [recto]
probably c. 1754/1765
![Figures on a Monumental Interior Stairway [recto] by Hubert Robert](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/figures-on-a-monumental-interior-stairway-recto-nga-62998.webp)
Medium
graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
Overall: 12.2 x 8.8 cm (4 13/16 x 3 7/16 in.) support: 21.5 x 15.6 cm (8 7/16 x 6 1/8 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
1984.3.27.a
Art Historical Context
Hubert Robert, the 18th-century French artist often called "Robert des Ruines," masterfully captured the drama of grand architecture in this intimate drawing, *Figures on a Monumental Stairway [recto*, likely created around 1754–1765. Executed in graphite on laid paper—a fine, textured support typical of the period—this small sheet (12.2 x 8.8 cm) reveals Robert's early fascination with vast, imagined interiors during his formative years, possibly influenced by his studies in Rome. The scene depicts tiny figures ascending a soaring stairway within an opulent, vaulted hall, evoking the timeles...
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....