The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

The Little Park

The Little Park

c. 1763
(French, 1732–1806)
Sheet: 14.4 x 21.8 cm (5 11/16 x 8 9/16 in.); Platemark: 11.2 x 16.5 cm (4 7/16 x 6 1/2 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Wildenstein 2
Location: not on view

Description

One of Fragonard’s earliest etchings, this picturesque view of an imaginary terraced Italian garden is perhaps inspired by memories of the grounds at the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, where he spent time in 1760. Fragonard’s spontaneously scribbled, willowy lines and his choice of black-gray ink give the etching a silvery quality that evokes the hazy atmosphere of hot Italian summers. Beneath the sun-dappled foliage, between the lion statues, a young woman encounters a youth resting on the steps.
  • François Heugel (French, born 1922)
  • Elegance and Intrigue: French Society in 18th-century Prints and Drawings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 16-November 6, 2016).
  • {{cite web|title=The Little Park|url=false|author=Jean-Honoré Fragonard|year=c. 1763|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2013.20