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Study for "A Gathering at Wood's Edge"

ca. 1770-73
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Fragonard probably drew this red chalk study outdoors, en plein air, as a deliberate step leading to a more finished work executed in his studio. Here, he studied a stand of mature trees at the edge of a forest; while in the more finished version he embellished the composition with peripheral foliage and several elegant figures, which are only hastily outlined in the study. Both works are virtuoso displays of Fragonard’s skill with red chalk. In a confident and unhesitating manner, he evokes the varied textures of the forest, contrasting the warmth of the sun-bleached foliage with the cool and murky depth of the shadows.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Study for "A Gathering at Wood's Edge"
  • Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1770-73
  • Medium: Red chalk
  • Dimensions: 12 3/16 × 18 in. (30.9 × 45.7 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Private collection
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints