Artwork

Architectural Remains and Fragments: Rouen - Fontaine de la Crosse

Architectural Remains and Fragments: Rouen - Fontaine de la Crosse is a print by the Romanticist artist Richard Parkes Bonington. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1827, *Architectural Remains and Fragments: Rouet – Fontaine de la Crosse* is a print by the Anglo‑French artist Richard Parkes Bonington. The work records a segment of the historic cityscape of Rouen, focusing on a richly carved stone fountain surrounded by a small group of figures.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on an ornate fountain, its weathered stone rendered with careful attention to texture. A few passers‑by are positioned in the foreground, engaged in quiet conversation or contemplation, suggesting a moment of everyday life set against the backdrop of enduring architecture.

Technique & Style

Bonington employs a Romantic treatment of light, using strong contrasts of shadow and highlight to model the stone’s surface. The interplay of illumination and darkness creates a sense of depth, while the delicate handling of atmospheric effects reflects his synthesis of English and French landscape traditions.

History & Provenance

The print was produced during Bonington’s brief but prolific period in France, shortly before his untimely death in 1828. It later entered collections that valued his contribution to early 19th‑century Romantic drawing and his influence on subsequent British painters.