Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius

Hubert Robert French

Not on view

The painter and draftsman Hubert Robert, who spent eleven years in Rome (1754-65) studying at the French Academy, is known for his picturesque capriccios - views of the city combining real and imaginary ancient monuments. This capriccio features the famous ancient bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. Robert rendered the statue accurately, but its crumbling stone pedestal and its inscription, altered to include his own name, are inventions. The statue is surrounded by an arcade reminiscent of Bernini’s colonnade for the piazza of Saint Peter’s, which is modified in detail and proportion by architectural elements from the Pantheon. Robert has surrounded the statue with an animal skull, bones, and fragments of architectural ruins, an allusion to the past glory of the Roman Empire.

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Hubert Robert (French, Paris 1733–1808 Paris), Pen and black ink, brush and gray and brown wash, pale rose watercolor and white heightening over black chalk.

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Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Hubert Robert (French, Paris 1733–1808 Paris), Pen and black ink, brush and gray and brown wash, pale rose watercolor and white heightening over black chalk.
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Hubert Robert (French, Paris 1733–1808 Paris), Pen and black ink, brush and gray and brown wash, pale rose watercolor and white heightening over black chalk.

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