The Sultan
Medium
Brush and brown wash (possibly bistre) over black chalk underdrawing
Dimensions
14 1/4 × 11 1/4 in. (36.2 × 28.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Catherine G. Curran, 2008
Accession Number
2008.437
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jean-Honoré Frard, a leading figure of the French Rococo movement, created *The Sultan* in 4, capturing the era's fascination with exotic Orientalism. During the late 18th century, artists like Fragonard drew inspiration from "Turqueriea fashionable craze for Turkish and Middle Eastern motifs amid Enlightenment curiosity about distant cultures. This intimate drawing likely portrays a turbaned male figure, evoking the opulent fantasy of a sultan, blending whimsy with the sensual, playful spirit that defined Fragonard's style. Executed in brush and brown wash (possibly bistre) over black chalk ...
About the Artist
Jean Honoré Fragonard · 1732–1806
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. Born in Grasse, he moved to Paris where he trained under Jean-Baptiste Chardin and François Boucher, winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1752. After studying in Italy alongside Hubert Robert, Fragonard returned to Paris in 1761 to fi...