1774
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
A Prayer for Grandpapa is a 1774 chalk by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows an old man sitting on the ground, holding a walking stick and a book. Next to him, a woman kneels, holding a child. The background has a dark doorway and some loose sketches of trees or smoke. The lines are quick and rough, with light shading. The woman’s face is turned toward the child, as if praying or comforting. The artist used soft brown washes over darker lines, giving it a smoky, unfinished look. Next, look up Fragonard, Jean Honoré to see how he played with light and emotion in his work.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard was born on 5 April 1732 in Grasse, the son of a glover, and moved with his family to Paris in 1738.
See the richer artist page
![Jacob and Rebecca before Isaac [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/5393ee8d0dceb48c/thumb.webp)
