1784
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza Witness the Attack on Rocinante is a 1784 chalk by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two men in a wild, tangled landscape. One looks exhausted, slumped on the ground, while the other stands nearby, arms outstretched as if pleading. The trees around them are twisted and rough, almost like claws, and the whole scene feels chaotic. The artist used quick, sketchy lines with soft shading to show movement and emotion. The paper looks worn, like the drawing was made fast—maybe even on the spot. Next, check out Romanticism to see how artists used drama and nature in their 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.
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