Fragonard and Bergeret with Their Wives Visiting a Tomb in Pompeii

Claude-Mathieu Fessard after Jean-Honoré Fragonard

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an underground scene featuring a skeleton and several observers. The drawing depicts an underground setting where a skeleton is lying on the ground in a dimly lit area. A group of observers gathers around, peering intently at the skeleton. The scene is lit by a beam of light coming in from a circular opening to the right. The surrounding architecture gives the impression of a dungeon or crypt, with stone walls and what appears to be a large stone bowl on a pedestal. The figures in the image display a range of expressions that suggest curiosity or surprise. The style is reminiscent of detailed etching work often found in classical illustrations.