Artwork
The Obelisk
The Obelisk is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Hubert Robert. It dates from 1787 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
The Obelisk is an oil on canvas painting by Hubert Robert, one of four architectural fantasies commissioned by the Marquis de Laborde for his estate at Méréville.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a grandiose vaulted space with a central obelisk, surrounded by a colonnade and featuring a female figure in a niche based on a first-century Roman sculpture.
Technique & Style
Robert's use of chiaroscuro creates a dramatic interplay of light and dark, while his vocabulary of Classical architecture and sculpture, absorbed during his Italian studies, informs the painting's imaginative language.
History & Provenance
Commissioned for the Marquis de Laborde's country estate, the painting reflects Robert's experiences in Italy and his exposure to Classical art and architecture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Hubert Robert (French pronunciation: ; 22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808) was a French painter in the school of Romanticism, noted especially for his landscape paintings and capricci, or semi-fictitious picturesque depictions of ruins in Italy…
