Figures in One of Michelangelo's Niches on the Apse of Saint Peter's, Rome
Hubert Robert (French, 1733–1808)
Red chalk; framing lines in pen and brown ink; 18 x 13 1/8 in. (45.6 x 33.5 cm); lined
Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971 (1972.118.229)
Technical Glossary
Hubert Robert (French, 1733–1808)
Red chalk; framing lines in pen and brown ink; 18 x 13 1/8 in. (45.6 x 33.5 cm); lined
Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971 (1972.118.229)
During his eleven-year sojourn in Rome, beginning in 1754, Robert cultivated his taste for architectural subjects, both real and imaginary. This drawing, though undated, is related to a group of views of the Vatican executed by the artist in 1763. Its topographical fidelity and detailed rendering of Michelangelo's niche—one can identify the precise spot in which Robert stood to execute the work—contrast with the freely sketched figures.
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