A Shaded Avenue

A Shaded Avenue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art evokes the formal garden allees that Fragonard studied at Italian villas and French chateaux. The towering avenue of trees, with their intertwining canopy, creates a natural cathedral that was a beloved motif in his landscape work. The bravura brushwork—rapid, swirling strokes building luminous effects—was applied alla prima onto canvas primed with warm ochre grounds, a technique Fragonard developed after studying Tiepolo in Venice.

The dramatic tunnel of foliage creates a powerful perspective recession, with dappled light filtering through the leaves. Fragonard's energetic brushwork captures the texture and movement of the foliage with extraordinary vitality.