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Lot Essay
A FAVORITE AMONG ROBERT'S SUBJECTS WERE THE VEDUTE IDEALI IN WHICH HE COMPRESSED AND IMAGINATIVELY COMBINED ACTUAL MONUMENTS. PERHAPS THE GREATEST OF THESE IS UNE PARTIE DES PLUS BEAUX MONUMENTS DE ROME (PRIVATE COLLECTION), A MAGNIFICENT CANVAS PAINTED FOR THE ABB TERRAY AND SHOWN IN THE SALON OF 1777, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER IN A SINGLE FANTASTIC VIEW SEVERAL OF THE MOST CELEBRATED MONUMENTS OF THE CLASSICAL PAST, INCLUDING THE PANTHEON, THE COLOSSEUM, AND THE ARCH OF CONSTANTINE, AMONG OTHERS. TWO OF THESE BUILDINGS ALSO APPEAR IN THE PRESENT PAINTING, IN WHICH THE COLOSSEUM, THE PANTHEON AND THE CAMPIDOGLIO ARE CONSUMED IN A DEVASTATING CONFLAGRATION.
IF ROBERT DELIGHTED IN RECREATING THE WORLD IN IDEAL VIEWS, HE ENJOYED DESTROYING IT, TOO. HE RECORDED DRAMATIC REAL-LIFE FIRES, SUCH AS THE SPECTACULAR BLAZE AT THE HTEL-DIEU THAT LEVELED THE OLD PARIS HOSPITAL ON THE NIGHT OF 29-30 DECEMBER 1772 (SEVERAL VERSIONS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE NATIONALMUSEUM, STOCKHOLM), AND THE 8 JUNE 1781 BURNING OF THE PARIS OPRA AT THE PALAIS ROYALE (SEVERAL VERSIONS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE MUSE CARNAVALET, PARIS). HE ALSO PAINTED OTHER KINDS OF DESTRUCTION, INCLUDING THE DEMOLITION OF SEVERAL OF THE BRIDGES OF PARIS, THE DECIMATION OF THE BASTILLE IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION, AND THE IMAGINARY RUINATION OF THE GRAND GALERIE OF THE LOUVRE. ROBERT SHARED THIS FASCINATION FOR CATASTROPHE WITH MANY OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES, INCLUDING PIERRE-JACQUES VOLAIRE (1729-1786) AND LACROIX DE MARSEILLE (C.1700-1782), WHO SPECIALIZED IN VEDUTE OF THE FIERY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS OF VESUVIUS.
SINCE ROBERT PEOPLED HIS CANVAS WITH FIGURES ROBED IN VAGUELY CLASSICAL DRESS, THE PRESENT PAINTING SEEMS TO REPRESENT HIS IMAGINARY VISION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. HOWEVER, ROBERT - WHO HAD A FINE CLASSICAL EDUCATION - WAS RARELY A PURIST IN SUCH MATTERS, AND THE UNEXPECTED PRESENCE OF ONE OF THE WONDERS OF CHRISTIAN ROME, ST. PETER'S BASILICA, IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE PAINTING EVOKES ROBERT'S BELIEF IN THE UNBROKEN LINK BETWEEN THE ANCIENT AND MODERN WORLDS, A CONTINUITY THAT HE CHERISHED.
IN A RGENCE CARVED GILTWOOD FRAME, THE CARTOUCHE CENTERS AND CORNERS FLANKED BY PIERCED S-SCROLLS, FOLIAGE AND FLOWERS.
IF ROBERT DELIGHTED IN RECREATING THE WORLD IN IDEAL VIEWS, HE ENJOYED DESTROYING IT, TOO. HE RECORDED DRAMATIC REAL-LIFE FIRES, SUCH AS THE SPECTACULAR BLAZE AT THE HTEL-DIEU THAT LEVELED THE OLD PARIS HOSPITAL ON THE NIGHT OF 29-30 DECEMBER 1772 (SEVERAL VERSIONS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE NATIONALMUSEUM, STOCKHOLM), AND THE 8 JUNE 1781 BURNING OF THE PARIS OPRA AT THE PALAIS ROYALE (SEVERAL VERSIONS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE MUSE CARNAVALET, PARIS). HE ALSO PAINTED OTHER KINDS OF DESTRUCTION, INCLUDING THE DEMOLITION OF SEVERAL OF THE BRIDGES OF PARIS, THE DECIMATION OF THE BASTILLE IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION, AND THE IMAGINARY RUINATION OF THE GRAND GALERIE OF THE LOUVRE. ROBERT SHARED THIS FASCINATION FOR CATASTROPHE WITH MANY OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES, INCLUDING PIERRE-JACQUES VOLAIRE (1729-1786) AND LACROIX DE MARSEILLE (C.1700-1782), WHO SPECIALIZED IN VEDUTE OF THE FIERY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS OF VESUVIUS.
SINCE ROBERT PEOPLED HIS CANVAS WITH FIGURES ROBED IN VAGUELY CLASSICAL DRESS, THE PRESENT PAINTING SEEMS TO REPRESENT HIS IMAGINARY VISION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. HOWEVER, ROBERT - WHO HAD A FINE CLASSICAL EDUCATION - WAS RARELY A PURIST IN SUCH MATTERS, AND THE UNEXPECTED PRESENCE OF ONE OF THE WONDERS OF CHRISTIAN ROME, ST. PETER'S BASILICA, IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE PAINTING EVOKES ROBERT'S BELIEF IN THE UNBROKEN LINK BETWEEN THE ANCIENT AND MODERN WORLDS, A CONTINUITY THAT HE CHERISHED.
IN A RGENCE CARVED GILTWOOD FRAME, THE CARTOUCHE CENTERS AND CORNERS FLANKED BY PIERCED S-SCROLLS, FOLIAGE AND FLOWERS.