The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 13, 2025
The Cupboard
1778
(French, 1732–1806)
Sheet: 39.1 x 52.3 cm (15 3/8 x 20 9/16 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Wildenstein 23 ; Baudicour 2
Location: Not on view
Description
Fragonard designed this popular etching to delight his viewers, who spy on the dramatic scene like the eavesdropping servants in the background. A maiden weeps as her boyfriend, caught hiding in a wardrobe, sheepishly faces the girl’s angry parents. Rumpled bed sheets and the position of the hat give away the passionate activities of the young lovers. Comically, the hat with a broad ribbon held by the boy belongs to his girlfriend. His plain hat with a buttoned-up brim hangs in the cupboard.- Cleveland Museum of Art, “New Acquisitions Enter the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Permanent Collection,” February 14, 1995, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.orgWehn, James. “The 18th-Century Selfie: A new exhibition looks at the role of prints and drawings in pre- and post-revolutionary France.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 56, no. 4 (July/August 2016): 8-9. Reproduced: p. 8; Mentioned: p. 9 archive.org
- Elegance and Intrigue: French Society in 18th-century Prints and Drawings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 16-November 6, 2016).Inventive Impressions: 18th- and 19-Century French Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-October 28, 2001).
- {{cite web|title=The Cupboard|url=false|author=Jean-Honoré Fragonard|year=1778|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.196