Chalk, pen and ink and grey wash
15½ x 10¼ in (39.5 x 26 cm)
The drawing was originally part of a group of 160 from the same series acquired by the renowned nineteenth century collector, Hippolyte Walfredin (1795-1880) directly from Fragonard’s descendants. They illustrate Ludovico Ariosto’s epic poem, Orlando Furioso, first published in Italy in 1516. The wide-ranging story is loosely based around the adventures of Orlando, a nephew of Charlemagne, during the Crusades. The story is episodic, without a real plot or narrative per se and alternates between historical events and elaborate fantasies.
