A Decorative Sculpture with a Woman Seen from Behind 1754 - 1765

Hubert Robert, active in France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, created this sketch with graphite on paper. Robert's art often blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. The woman is positioned at the edge of the composition, almost as an afterthought, while the decorative sculptures are set center stage. Who is she? And what is her relation to these mythical beasts? There is a sense of distance between the viewer and the subject, emphasizing a social divide, as it seems she is kept away from the opulence of the sculpture. Although Robert's works often showcased idealized landscapes and grand architectural visions, here we see a tension between the grandeur of sculptural art and the more mundane aspects of everyday life. The faint quality of the sketch emphasizes the transient nature of lived experience against the enduring presence of art.