CAM Look | The Glade by Hubert Robert | 8/29/24

French painter Hubert Robert was born in 1733 in Paris, France. The son of a well-known diplomat, Robert finished his studies with the Jesuits at the Collège de Nevers in 1751. He would then join the atelier of the sculptor Michel-Ange Slodes, who taught him design and perspective, later encouraging him to pursue painting. Following his studies in France, Robert soon traveled to Rome where he would In Rome, Robert would spend a great deal of time sketching and documenting his travels while spending his time in the company of young artists in the circle of Giovanni Battista Peronisi, an artist famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric prisms. These albums of sketches and drawings supplied him with motifs that would continue to be worked into his paintings Upon his return to Rome, Robert's success would increase substantially. His first exhibition taking place at the Paris Salon in 1767 and then subsequently showed his work until 1802, just six years before his death. Between that time, Robert was arrested during the French Revolution and held in detention for 10 months. Following during his detention, he continued to make many drawings, paintings, and vignettes of prison life on plates. Following his release, Robert eventually would become one of five in charge of the new National Museum at the Louvre. Hubert Robert's quantity of work is immense, making up nearly 1,000 or more paintings and roughly 10,000 drawings in his lifetime. Robert's style of painting related to the style of romanticism. As we look at the Glade, we can see the relationship between romance in a physical and literary sense. It's poetic to look at, to imagine what it would be like to walk beneath the trees and come upon this sweet scene. Notice the dramatic use of color and movement spread throughout the open trees. There are two figures nestled casually beneath a tree, sitting comfortably beside a creek with red and blue fabric draped over their laps. The two appear to be reading to one another while a white dog sleeps lazily beside the figure facing front towards the viewer. The balance of the painting is captivating, despite not quite being symmetrical. There's a level of stability in the way the trees crane to the right and to the left of one another, creating a dome-like shape. It feels as if this moment in time is simply a fantasy, wholesome in its own right. In what ways do you find romance in art and in your daily life? What emotions do you find yourself feeling when looking at this piece? Thank you for joining me today for CAM Look. Check back out our YouTube channel for more CAM Looks. We'll see you soon.