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The Fiancée of the King of Garbe: The Tree

ca. 1770
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The salacious Tales of Jean de La Fontaine enjoyed great popularity in eighteenth-century France. Fragonard illustrated them in various series and versions over many years. While a few were eventually engraved, his drawings, which perfectly capture the gallantry and humor of the well-known stories, also appealed to collectors. This drawing shows Alaciel, a sultan’s daughter destined to marry the king of Garbe, allowing herself to be wooed by a Sudanese lord, Hispal, in a woodland setting.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Fiancée of the King of Garbe: The Tree
  • Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1770
  • Medium: Brown wash over light black chalk underdrawing
  • Dimensions: 8 3/16 × 5 1/2 in. (20.7 × 14 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, Purchased on the Gordon N. Ray Fund (1993.3)
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints