The Morgan Library and Museum presents Fragonard and the French Tradition, approximately 40 works on paper by the French Rococo artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) and some of his contemporaries, drawn almost entirely from the museum's collection. The exhibition explores the development of the artist's distinctive style and method of draftsmanship. His Interior of a Park: The Gardens of the Villa d'Este (ca. 1762/5). a reduction of a larger painted composition, is a highlight of the show. Fragonard's premières pensées or rapidly drawn works on paper challenged the traditional role of drawing in academic circles of eighteenth-century Europe; a number of them are on display.
"Fragonard and the French Tradition" is on view from October 13, 2006 through January 7, 2007 at the Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-3405 (Telephone: 212-685-0008; Website). The museum is open Tuesday to Thursday from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Admission is $12.00 for adults, $8.00 for seniors and students and free on Friday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
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From your Guide: Stan Parchin, Senior Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, is a specialist in ancient, late-medieval and Renaissance art and history, and a regular contributor to About Art History. You may read all of his Special Exhibition and Catalogue Reviews here.