Trees
1744/1750
Medium
graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 12.5 x 18.5 cm (4 15/16 x 7 5/16 in.) page size: 42.5 x 27.7 cm (16 3/4 x 10 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Mark J. Millard Architectural Collection
Accession Number
1983.49.186
Art Historical Context
**Trees** by Joseph-Marie Vien1716–1809), between 1744 and 1750, is a delicate graphite drawing on laid paper, measuring 12.5 x 18.5 cm. This intimate sheet captures the artist's keen observation of nature during his early career, just after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 3, which sent him to Italy for study. Vien, a pivotal French painter bridging Rococo elegance and emerging Neoclassicism, began with such precise sketches to hone his skills in rendering form and texture. Graphite on laid paper—a common 18th-century support with its distinctive chain lines visible under light—allowe...
About the Artist
Joseph-Marie Vien · 1716–1809
Joseph-Marie Vien (1716–1809) was born on 18 June in Montpellier, France, into a modest family, emerging as a child prodigy in painting. As a protégé of the Comte de Caylus, he entered the studio of Charles-Joseph Natoire at an early age, honing his skills in history painting. Winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1743, Vien traveled to Italy in 1744, spending six formative years in Rome studyin...