Fountain with a Rock Arch in a Park
17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash
Dimensions
10 x 16 3/4 in. (25.4 x 42.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1973
Accession Number
1973.113
Tags
Art Historical Context
Israel Silvestre’s “Fountain with a Rock Arch in a Park” offers a glimpse into the elegant garden designs that flourished across Europe in the seventeenth century. A prolific French draftsman and printmaker, Silvestre specialized in topographical views of parks, palaces, and fountains, often recording the lavish landscapes favored by royal courts. This drawing likely captures the spirit of such formal gardens, where architecture and nature were carefully choreographed to impress visitors. Executed in pen and brown ink with delicate gray washes, the work demonstrates Silvestre’s skillful handl...
About the Artist
Israel Silvestre (French) · 1621 –1691
French, Nancy 1621–1691 Paris