Artist: Robert Hubert (1733-1808)
Title: L'Hermite du Colisée
Medium: Aquatinted engraving
Dimensions: 38 x 33 cm
Condition Report: In good condition

Description:
Based on Hubert Robert’s extensive studies and years spent in Italy, L'Hermite du Colisée presents a romanticized vision of the Roman Colosseum in a ruinous state. The composition captures a contemplative scene of a hermit deeply engaged in prayer before a makeshift altar, unaware of two young women playfully stealing flowers behind him. This lighthearted genre scene showcases Robert’s signature blend of architectural grandeur and narrative wit, balancing historical reverence with a touch of humor.

About the Artist:
Born in Paris in 1733, Hubert Robert was a celebrated landscape painter and draftsman known for his architectural fantasies and capricci. His decade-long stay in Italy, during which he studied with Giovanni Paolo Panini and collaborated with Giovanni Battista Piranesi, deeply influenced his artistic vision. Robert became a leading painter of ruins, often reconstructing imaginary compositions that blended ancient Roman architecture with picturesque elements. He was a favored artist of the French aristocracy and served as a curator at the Louvre, surviving the French Revolution despite imprisonment. His prolific output spanned grand decorative commissions, intimate drawings, and masterful engravings, securing his legacy as a pivotal figure in 18th-century European art.