Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Seated Man Reading

1774
Not on view
This confident drawing of a seated man absorbed in his book is closely related to a group of portraitlike drawings made by Fragonard on his second trip to Italy (1773–74) sponsored by the fermier général Pierre-Jacques-Onésyme Bergeret de Grancourt. Drawn in a rapid, confident outline and shaded to convey tone and shadow, this drawing presents its subject with an admirable economy of means. Oddly cropped at the ankle, the sitter may have been observed by the artist across a table and partially obscured. The unconventional composition attests to the informality of the sheet.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Seated Man Reading
  • Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris)
  • Date: 1774
  • Medium: Red chalk
  • Dimensions: 13 3/8 x 9 3/16 in. (34 x 23.3 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Howard J. Sachs and Mr. Peter G. Sachs, in memory of Miss Edith L. Sachs, 1978
  • Object Number: 1978.516.1
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Oil on canvas
Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog
Jean Honoré Fragonard
ca. 1769
Guitar, Jean-Baptiste Voboam French, Spruce, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory, ebony, French
Guitar
attributed to Jean-Baptiste Voboam
1697
Approach to a Mountain Village with Horsemen on the Road, Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino) Italian, Pen and brown ink, traces of black chalk; mounted on an album page
Approach to a Mountain Village with Horsemen on the Road
Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino)
ca. 1501
Roman Interior, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Oil on canvas
Roman Interior
Jean Honoré Fragonard
ca. 1760
Ceramic Horn, Glazed pottery, French
Ceramic Horn
French
late 18th or early 19th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.