Jean-Honoré FRAGONARD (Grasse 1732 – Paris 1806) Presumed view of the Château de Beaucaire from the banks of the Rhône Black pencil on beige paper. Annotated “Fragonard” on the mat. (Slightly sun-faded, small spots). 19.2 x 27.2 cm We can date this drawing to the year 1761, the year in which Fragonard began his return journey from Rome to Paris in the company of the Abbé de Saint-Non. Claude Richard (1727–1791), known as the Abbé de Saint-Non, was an amateur artist, draftsman, and engraver who befriended Hubert Robert and Jean-Honoré Fragonard in Rome. As a patron and protector of the young artist, the Abbé took Fragonard on trips throughout Italy to sketch the Villa d’Este and Tivoli as early as 1760. In 1761, he invited Fragonard to accompany him on his return journey to Paris. Fragonard then produced numerous sketches in black chalk of the sites and landscapes they visited. The travelers passed through Toulon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Rémy, and Nîmes, where Fragonard sketched the Maison Carrée in September 1761. Beaucaire is located on the road leading from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to Nîmes.