The Stable

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A pupil of Boucher (1703-1770), Fragonard won the Grand Prix in 1752 and travelled in Italy from 1756 and 1761. There, he painted similar scenes and landscapes while touring Rome and its environs, a notebook in hand, often with Hubert Robert; in fact, their drawings are often confused. Back in Paris he experienced dazzling success and, turning his back on an official career, dedicated himself to a clientele of rich amateurs. Painted in Rome or just after his return to Paris, this Stable is illuminated by golden light in the tradition of Rembrandt. The influence of Italy is still clear in a Corinthian capital, attesting to the artist’s virtuosity in his quick and light style, his rich and smooth strokes, and also his humour, which shows in the two cows squabbling over their fodder.