ユベール・ロベール

Hubert Robert transformed ruins into poetry. Born in Paris in 1733, he spent eleven formative years in Rome from 1754, sketching the ancient city's fragments and working briefly in Giovanni Paolo Panini's studio. The contrast between classical remains and contemporary life fascinated him; he developed the veduta and capriccio—landscapes blending real sites with imaginative elements—that would define his career. Returning to Paris in 1765, he quickly achieved prominence, exhibiting at the Salon annually until 1802 while serving as designer of the king's gardens and keeper of pictures.