Hubert Robert & Fragonard. The Feeling of Nature

First, here is an exhibition that is a pleasure to walk through from room to room, following the fine artistic friendship born among the ruins of Rome, where young French artists sent by Natoire trained from nature, and which one can almost recognise in one of the superb red-chalk drawings (ill. 1) that have made the reputation of the Musée de Valence since the founding bequest of Julien Victor Veyrenc in 1835–1836. Nearly two centuries later, Valence still stands as another homeland for Hubert Robert; its museum has perfectly known how to enhance and enrich this collection, which remains a legitimate source of pride. One must therefore salute the organisers of this superb exhibition, where one moves from the banks of the Tiber to those of the Seine, following the careers of two engaging artists, despite their rather different temperaments and interests. Very few surprises await specialists, but the parcours, intended for both amateurs and newcomers, remains very clear and allows a fresh examination of the much-discussed “Fragobert”, with stimulating reattributions proposed by the specialist Sarah Catala, curator-in-training at the INP.

The driving force behind the project proposed by the Musée de Valence, she has for several years possessed an intimate knowledge of the works of both artists, nourished through exhibitions and especially through the art market, which has allowed her to handle dozens of works by Hubert Robert. This is, of course, an asset for a curator, since she is also familiar with both public and private print rooms, and is well known to readers of La Tribune de l’Art for her museum exhibitions [1] and for her collaboration with the Coatalem gallery, where two memorable exhibitions devoted to Hubert Robert were organised (see the news item of…