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The Bread Oven at the Château de Nègrepelisse
Jean Honoré Fragonard French
Not on view
Near his château, Fragonard’s patron Bergeret operated large communal ovens where local women could bring their bread dough to be baked. The crowded, aromatic spectacle must have appealed to the artist. Before a roaring fire, bakers wield paddles, women carry loaves, and others sit or stand, waiting their turn. Fragonard first produced a loose sketch of the scene, in which he established the interior proportions of the vast hall and the placement of the figural groups. He then executed this larger, final version with details articulated with pen and brown ink; the date is inscribed on one of the ceiling beams.
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