Hubert Robert (1733 - 1808)

In 1754, Hubert Robert’s artistic talent prompted the royal envoy, Marquis de Stainville (later Duc de Choiseul) to summon the artist to Rome, where he received an official scholarship for the French Academy due to the advocacy of his patron. Under the influence of Italian artists such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778), and particularly Giovanni Paolo Pannini (1691/92–1765), Robert rose to become a ruin-painter much in demand among high society. He maintained a close friendship with his French colleague Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). Together, they travelled around the environs of Rome, exploring ancient ruins and sketching views of numerous landscapes. In 1765 the artist returned to Paris; a year later he became a member of the Academy and, in 1784, curator of the royal painting collection. He embraced the French Revolution, but kept faith with the court, which led to his imprisonment. He was released in 1794 and allowed to return to his studio in the Louvre.

Author: Habersatter Thomas

Literature: DUCKE Astrid, HABERSATTER Thomas, OEHRING Erika: Masterworks. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2015, S. 132