The Bathing Pool, Hubert Robert (1777-79)
In response to a wager with Queen Marie Antoinette, the comte d’Artois—brother to King Louis XVI—commissioned the rapid construction of a luxurious retreat just outside Paris, completed in only sixty-four days by over 800 artisans. To complement this lavish space, Hubert Robert created six paintings of Italian landscapes, specifically designed for the bathing chamber. These works evoke serene waterscapes and classical ruins, enhancing the room’s theme of water and leisure.
Drawing on more than a decade spent in Italy, where he mingled with fellow expatriate artists like Jean Honoré Fragonard, Robert brought his intimate knowledge of classical architecture and sculpture to these compositions. Rather than exact reproductions, the paintings combine elements from various ancient sites into idealized, imaginative scenes, offering a poetic reflection of Italy’s timeless beauty that enriched the retreat’s atmosphere of refined elegance.
Cotton and polyester canvas on Radiata pine wood frame sourced from renewable forests. Includes back mounting.
