Ruined Wall with Arch, Closed by Wooden Palings

Watermark: fleur-de-lis in circle.
In 1741, Charles Michel-Ange Challe won the prestigious Prix de Rome, leaving soon after on the requisite trip to Italy. He remained for seven years at the French Academy in Rome long beyond the three-year term of the average pensionnaire. While in Rome, Challe sketched many sheets "en plein air" in the Roman countryside, such as Landscape with an Arched Bridge at The Morgan Library and Museum (inv. 1976.19). Despite the vagaries of the setting, it is possible that Challe executed this sheet during his Italian period. The architecture and brick work in this drawing are suggestive of an antique Roman ruin.Typical of his style with thick, raking strokes of black chalk, Challe captures the rustic charm of his surroundings.