1784
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Don Quixote Attacking the Windmill is a 1784 chalk by Jean Honoré Fragonard, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a chaotic battle scene with a lone figure on horseback swinging a spear at something invisible. The horse rears up, hooves kicking, while the rider’s posture is all wild energy. The background is a tangle of loose lines—trees, rocks, and maybe a windmill—all drawn quickly with chalk and wash. The artist used light shading to make the action feel urgent, almost like the lines are moving. This sketch looks like a rough draft, not a finished painting. Next, check out Romanticism to see how artists used drama and emotion 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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