Paard en wagen op een bomenlaan c. 1765 - 1775

This pencil sketch of a horse and carriage on a tree-lined avenue was created by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The motif of the tree-lined road, seemingly leading into the infinite, has been used to suggest both temporal and spiritual progression since antiquity. Note how Fragonard repeats this composition throughout his oeuvre, from the intimate "The Swing" to grandiose landscapes. In ancient Roman art, such as mosaics and frescoes found in Pompeii, tree-lined avenues were often depicted as symbols of prosperity and the structured beauty of nature under human order. This notion evolved through the Renaissance, finding its most famous expression in pastoral scenes, often imbued with allegorical or mythical content. But the essence of the symbol remains: the road represents a journey and the trees symbolize growth, nature, and connection to the earth. In Fragonard's drawing, the trees create a cathedral-like space, imbuing the scene with a sense of reverence and the sublime. The avenue, stretching beyond sight, evokes the subconscious desire to traverse the unknown, suggesting a world ripe with possibility and transformation.