Galerie Paul Prouté

In 1752, Jean-Honoré Fragonard was admitted to the École royale des élèves protégés after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome. It is possible that he received his first training in the art of printmaking there, since students “whose sketches appeared reasonably good” were encouraged to “etch them.” In 1756, Fragonard joined the Palazzo Mancini, home of the Académie de France in Rome. There, he met the painter Hubert Robert as well as the Abbé de Saint-Non, an art enthusiast, draughtsman, and printmaker who would become his patron and principal commissioner. Fragonard likely developed his skills as a draughtsman and printmaker through his contact with this cultivated patron.