Three Ladies Chatting
1726 to 1750
Medium
pen and black ink with brown wash over graphite
Dimensions
Overall: 15.5 x 11.8 cm (6 1/8 x 4 5/8 in.) framed: 50.2 x 40.3 x 5.7 cm (19 3/4 x 15 7/8 x 2 1/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund and Mary Kelly Memorial Fund
Accession Number
1985.36.1
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the National Gallery of Art's collection, *Three Ladies Chatting* is a gem of 18th-century draftsmanship French artist Hubert Robert (17331808). Created between 1726 and 1750—likely during his formative years—this intimate drawing measures just 15.5 x 11.8 cm, inviting viewers to lean in close. Robert, celebrated for his evocative landscapes and ruined architectures in the Neoclassical vein, reveals his versatility here with a lively genre scene, capturing a fleeting moment of female camaraderie. Executed in pen and black ink with brown wash over graphite, the work exemplifies the ...
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....