The Oval Fountain in the Gardens of the Villa d'Este, Tivoli
1760
Medium
red chalk over graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 32.7 × 45.1 cm (12 7/8 × 17 3/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Neil Phillips and Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Phillips, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1990.129.1
Art Historical Context
Step into the lush, imagined gardens of the Villa d'Este in Tivoli with Hubert Robert's delicate drawing *The Oval Fountain*, created around 1760. Robert, a masterful French artist often called "Robert des Ru," spent over a decade in Italy from 1754 to 1765, sketching the grandeur of ancient sites and Renaissance wonders. This work captures the iconic Oval Fountain—a centerpiece of the villa's terraced gardens, designed in the 16th century by Pirro Ligorio—evoking the playful interplay of water, architecture, and nature that defined Mannerist landscaping. Executed in red chalk over graphite o...
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....