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The Husband-Confessor

ca. 1770
Not on view
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 delicate drawing illustrates one of the famous Tales of Jean de La Fontaine. In a careful technique, emphasizing legibility over spontaneity, Fragonard describes an elegant salon. The knight Artus returns from war to find his wife surrounded by admirers, his expression far from pleased.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Husband-Confessor
  • Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1770
  • Medium: Brush and brown wash over light black chalk underdrawing
  • Dimensions: 8 1/8 x 5 9/16 in. (20.6 x 14.1 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection, Bequest of Emma A. Sheafer, 1973
  • Object Number: 1974.356.44
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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Danse de satyres, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching, first state
Danse de satyres
Jean Honoré Fragonard
n.d.
The Vision of Saint Jerome, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching, first state
The Vision of Saint Jerome
Jean Honoré Fragonard
Johann Liss
1763–64
Bacchante et jeune satyre, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching
Bacchante et jeune satyre
Jean Honoré Fragonard
n.d.
Bacchanale - Satyr and Nymph with Infant and Infant Satyr, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Etching, second state
Bacchanale - Satyr and Nymph with Infant and Infant Satyr
Jean Honoré Fragonard
n.d.
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, Jean Honoré Fragonard French, Black chalk counterproof, re-worked in black chalk
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Jean Honoré Fragonard
Mattia Preti (Il Cavalier Calabrese)
ca. 1761

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