Hubert Robert was renowned for his creation of imaginary views. This immense canvas can be described as a capriccio, a painting that blends real and invented architectural features in a fantastical setting. Here, the fountain’s design defies the laws of physics, and the dual staircases rise toward a distant plateau where the figures at the top seem to vanish into the horizon. As a young artist, supported by the French Academy, Robert traveled to Rome, where he sketched ancient monuments and famous sites. This spectacular view appears to be directly inspired by the Teatro dell’Acqua at the Villa Aldobrandini and the terraced garden at the Villa d’Este in Tivoli. Created in 1560, the Tivoli garden had fallen into disrepair by the time of Robert’s visit in 1762; while some fountains still functioned, much of the garden had been reclaimed by nature. Like all artists who were sent to Rome by the French government, Robert was encouraged to copy antquities; here, the Borghese Vase makes an appearance in the lower left corner as a ruin. The mother and child walking toward the fountain’s basin, however, wear the elaborate wigs and fashions of 1770s France, reminding the beholder of the artist’s heritage.
Robert returned to Paris in 1765. This painting was executed a few years later, by which time his artworks were avidly sought by royalty and a wide aristocratic clientele across Europe. In 1778, he was appointed designer of gardens to the king of France, a role in which he was able to devise new layouts and architectural features for the grounds of royal residences at Versailles and Rambouillet. Robert also helped established the Louvre as a museum, having organized temporary exhibitions there before its official opening in 1801.
2024
