The image depicts a scene from an elevated viewpoint looking towards the horizon. Architectural elements, including buildings with arched openings and pitched roofs, are sketched with delicate pencil strokes. In the foreground, there are additional structures and figures outlined with smooth pencil marks. The drawing is monochromatic, using shades of gray to emphasize form and line. Faint outlines of buildings in the distance give depth to the composition.
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Housetops behind a Wall

Hubert Robert (French, 1733 - 1808)

probably c. 1754/1765

Medium
black chalk on laid paper
Classification
Drawing
Dimensions
Overall: 10.4 x 16.4 cm (4 1/8 x 6 7/16 in.) ; support: 15.6 x 21.5 cm (6 1/8 x 8 7/16 in.)
Culture
French
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CG-E
Credit line
Julius S. Held Collection, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art