“Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806)—one of the most forward looking and inventive artists of the 18th century—was equally skilled in painting, drawing, and etching. Yet, unlike many old masters for whom drawing was a preparatory tool, Fragonard explored the potential of chalk, ink, and wash to create sheets that were works of art in their own right. As displays of virtuosity and an imaginative spirit, his drawings were highly prized from his own day to the present, and New York has long been a center for collecting these works.
The exhibition Fragonard: Drawing Triumphant—Works from New York Collections celebrates the artist’s achievements as a master draftsman. A similar brio and inventiveness mark the artist’s etchings, and examples of these will also be featured. Among the 100 works on paper on view, nearly half are from private collections, some of which will be shown publicly for the first time. The exhibition will thus provide a rare opportunity to see well-loved masterpieces alongside new discoveries and works that have long been out of the public eye.” — The Met
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Study of Plants, including Acanthus, ca. 1759. Red chalk on white antique laid paper, 15–3/4 x 20–7/8 in. (40 x 53 cm). Private Collection, New York.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). View of the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, ca. 1760–65. Red chalk counterproof, reworked by the artist in brown ink, brown and gray wash, 13–3/8 x 18–1/4 in. (33.8 × 46.2 cm). Private Collection.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Rinaldo in the Enchanted Forest, ca. 1763. Brown wash over very light black chalk underdrawing, 13–1/4 x 18 in. (33.5 x 45.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Purchase, Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; Guy Wildenstein Gift; The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund; Kristin Gary Fine Art Gift; and funds from various donors, 2009.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). The Satyr’s Family, 1763. Etching, 9–1/4 x 12 in. (23.3 × 30.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1996.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). The Young Athenian Women Drawing Lots, ca. 1765-66. Brown and gray wash with red, yellow, and blue watercolor over black chalk underdrawing, 13–1/4 x 17–3/8 in. (33.5 x 44.2 cm). Private collection, New York.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Draftsman in a Trellised Garden, ca. 1770–72. Black chalk, 15 x 9–7/8 in. (38 × 25 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Robert Lehman Collection, 1975.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). A Gathering at Wood’s Edge, ca. 1770-73. Red chalk, 14–3/4 x 19–3/8 in. (37.5 x 49.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1995.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Reading in the Kitchen, ca. 1775–80. Brown wash over black chalk underdrawing, 13–3/8 x 17–7/8 in. (33.8 × 45.2 cm). Private Collection. Photo by Alex Jamison.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Benevolent Women on Horseback Visiting a Village, ca. 1775–80. Black chalk, incised, 13–34 x 16–3/4 in. (34.8 × 42.5 cm). Private Collection.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). The Island of Love, ca. 1770-80. Gouache over traces of black chalk underdrawing, 11 x 14–1/4 in. (27.9 x 36.2 cm). Private Collection, New York. Photo by Alex Jamison.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). Portrait of a Neapolitan Woman, 1774. Brush and brown wash over faint black chalk underdrawing, 4–1/2 x 11–1/8 in. (36.7 x 28.2 cm). The Morgan Library & Museum, Thaw Collection. Photo: The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). A Fisherman Pulling a Net, 1774. Red chalk, 19–3/4 x 14–3/4 in. (50.1 x 37.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Walter and Leonore Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2006.
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806). The Armoire, 1778. Etching, first state of four, 17 x 22–3⁄8 in. (43 × 56.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Roland L. Redmond Gift, Louis V. Bell and Rogers Funds, 1972.
The exhibition is organized by Perrin Stein, Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints. Images courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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