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The Frightened Flock

Jean Honoré Fragonard French

Not on view

We do not know whether Fragonard had a specific narrative in mind when he drew this scene of a shepherd and his dog running in front of a frightened flock of sheep. Apart from the stone milepost, there is no indication of setting. The drawing demonstrates marvelously, however, the artist’s ability to depict motion with an urgency of execution in perfect harmony with the subject. The quickly applied translucent washes allow the energy of the black chalk sketch to show through.

The Frightened Flock, Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, Grasse 1732–1806 Paris), Brush and brown and light gray wash over black chalk

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