The Little Park
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This drawing began as a counterproof—a slightly paler version, in reverse, of a red chalk drawing hanging nearby (ca. 1761–63). A counterproof is created by placing a damp sheet of blank paper atop the original drawing and passing both sheets through a press. Artists typically made counterproofs to remove excess chalk, but, for Fragonard, the mirror image also provided the basis for a new drawing executed in brown and gray wash directly on top of the counterproof.
As reworked in wash, the sheet takes on a painterly, vaporous effect. Two craggy trees, not present in earlier versions, have been added on the right side of the composition, furthering the autumnal, almost melancholic effect.
As reworked in wash, the sheet takes on a painterly, vaporous effect. Two craggy trees, not present in earlier versions, have been added on the right side of the composition, furthering the autumnal, almost melancholic effect.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Little Park
- Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1763-65
- Medium: Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown and gray wash and some
white gouache (at lower left), over a red chalk counterproof - Dimensions: 13 5/8 × 17 3/8 in. (34.6 × 44.1 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Private collection
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints