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Identification of LA FONTAINE by Hubert Robert

The scene unfolds within LA FONTAINE, a work painted by Hubert Robert in 1784. This piece emerges from a specific creative sequence, forming part of a series of paintings centered on the theme of water. The artist captures a moment where the elements of nature and the remnants of human construction meet under a soft, diffused light.

The origins of this work trace back to the patronage of David Etienne Rouillé de l'Etang, who served as the Treasurer General of the Police. He commissioned this vision to decorate the private residence of his estate, the Hôtel de la place Louis XV in Paris. Through his direction, the artist translates the quiet movement of water and the stillness of stone into a visual narrative that feels both expansive and intimate.

The Composition and Visual Elements

A serene pastoral vista unfolds before the eye, dominated by the crumbling ruins of an ancient temple or palazzo. These weathered stone structures lean into the landscape, their decaying forms asserting a monumental scale against the natural world. A solitary figure sits quietly beside a deer, a moment of stillness captured amidst the slow disintegration of the architecture. This central grouping anchors the midground, creating a focal point where humanity and nature meet in quiet companionship.

The composition is carefully structured vertically, drawing the gaze upward through the layers of the landscape. Linear perspective directs the eye away from the immediate ruins, guiding it toward the distant mountains that loom beneath a muted sky. An atmospheric haze settles over these far-off peaks, softening their edges and enhancing the sense of depth. This subtle blurring of the horizon contributes to a melancholic mood, as if the very air is heavy with the weight of passing time.

Technique, Materials and Support

Oil paints meet canvas in this quiet scene, where the medium allows for a profound sense of atmosphere. The artist works through a meticulous process of layering and blending, building up the surface to achieve a soft, diffused light that seems to hang in the air. This technique creates subtle gradations in tone, allowing the sky to transition seamlessly into the hazy distance and the stone of the ruins to melt into the surrounding greenery. There is a palpable sense of depth achieved through these tonal shifts, drawing the eye toward the mountains that loom in the pale background.

The execution relies on a delicate balance between the seen and the imagined. While the architectural forms of the fountain and the crumbling structures possess a grounded, physical presence, the brushwork avoids harshness. Instead, the colors blend into one another, minimizing visible strokes to favor a smooth, polished finish. This approach allows the textures of the weathered stone and the organic shapes of the foliage to coexist within a unified, atmospheric space. The light does not strike the scene with sharp intensity but rather settles softly over the landscape, as if filtered through a light overcast sky.

The History and Provenance of the Object

The life of this painting begins within the private walls of an hôtel on the place Louis XV in Paris, where it was commissioned by David Etienne Rouillé de l'Etang, the Treasurer General of the Police. It remains part of a series of works centered on the theme of water, intended to decorate the residence of its original patron. From there, the work moves through the hands of a single family across generations. It passes from Rouillé de l'Etang to his niece, the Marquise de Pastoret, and then to her son, Amédée de Pastoret. Eventually, the inheritance reaches his daughter, the Marquise du Plessis-Bellière.

The quiet continuity of family ownership ends following the death of the Marquise du Plessis-Bellière. The painting enters the public sphere during a sale at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris on May 10-11, 1897, appearing as lot number 79. It travels through various collections until 1946, when it arrives at the Musée du Louvre through a manual donation from Victor Lyon. This gift ensures the work remains a permanent part of the museum's collection. In 1971, the painting undergoes restoration at the hands of Lucien Aubert to preserve its appearance.