Accession Number
2012/2.183

Title
Scene with Antique Ruins

Artist(s)
Hubert Robert

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1760-1790

Medium & Support
red crayon on heavy laid paper

Dimensions
14 3/16 in x 11 1/2 in (36.04 cm x 29.21 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink

Label copy
Anonymous
France
Scene with Antique Ruins
ca. 1750–1800
Red crayon on laid paper
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink, 2012/2.183

Subject matter
This drawing, attributed to the late-nineteenth century French painter Hubert Robert, depicts a male figure in a long, draped garment standing on a slab of stone amidst an ancient ruin. Probably an invented scene of the type Robert became known for, this composition includes a number of columns and capitals piled alongside one another in the middle ground, one of which has an urn on top of it, and a number of friezes and other decorative architectural fragments in the background. The artist conveyed the recession of depth with gently gradated transitions from the darkly shaded foreground to the light sky behind it, which fills the upper three-quarters of the composition.

Physical Description
A red crayon drawing of a man contemplating antique ruins.

Primary Object Classification
Drawing

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
capital components
columns (architectural elements)
friezes (entablature components)
ruins
sketches