Washerwomen at the Fountain

This painting shows one of Robert’s favorite subjects: washerwomen at work amid classical ruins. The implements of the women’s trade – washbasin, washboard, and paddle – are visible in the shadows at left. A Roman sarcophagus serves as the fountain. Robert had studied painting in Rome for more than a decade and had made extensive sketches of Rome’s ruined monuments. In his paintings, he often combined the features of various classical buildings into fanciful architectural ruins, populated by contemporary Roman workers or foreign tourists.