1760
graphite
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Figures on a Monumental Interior Stairway [recto] is a 1760 graphite by Hubert Robert, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows three people on a grand staircase. One person stands at the top, holding a long object like a pole. Another sits halfway up, looking down. The third person kneels at the bottom, facing the seated figure. The walls are rough, and the steps look worn, with light falling unevenly. The artist focused on quick, loose lines to show movement and mood. The scene feels tense, like something important is about to happen. Next, look up Robert, Hubert to see how he used sketches like this to explore ideas.
Hubert Robert (French pronunciation: ; 22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808) was a French painter in the school of Romanticism, noted especially for his landscape paintings and capricci, or semi-fictitious picturesque depictions of ruins in Italy and of France.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
![Woman and Smaller Male Figure on Grand Stairway [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/637e2104bb3633b6/thumb.webp)
![Palatial Mantelpiece with a Scene of Ancient Sacrifice [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/6818e7e0eb258b13/thumb.webp)
