Robert first went to Rome in 1754, eventually spending eleven years in Italy and befriending Fragonard, who influenced his free and lively style of painting and drawing. In this panel from the Bagatelle series, Robert adapted the architecture of the Campidoglio in Rome for the palace at the right. The fountain with the obelisk may have been based on one formerly in the gardens of the château. Most of the work on the series was done between 1777 and 1779.
