Artwork Page for François I Brandishing a Sword

Details / Information for François I Brandishing a Sword

François I Brandishing a Sword

c. 1815–30
(French, 1781–1850)
Measurements
Sheet: 16.9 x 12.2 cm (6 5/8 x 4 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard was the son of the famous painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard, but developed a very different artistic style than his father.

Description

Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard developed a dramatic, narrative style of drawing that was well suited for illustration, and this sheet may have been one such design. Like many of his contemporaries, Fragonard was interested in modern history, focusing on important figures of the recent past. Here, he likely depicted the French king François I (1494–1547), a frequent subject of his work.
A vertically oriented ink and wash drawing on tan paper depicts François I, a man with light skin tone, lunging left in a stone hall. He holds a curved sword aloft in his right hand, wearing a plumed hat and billowing cloak. To his left, a winged statue sits on a pedestal beside stone stairs. At the top, one person kneels in prayer while another stands in a distant arched doorway.

François I Brandishing a Sword

c. 1815–30

Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard

(French, 1781–1850)
France, 19th century

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