Hubert Robert–a designer of parks and gardens, as well as a painter–represents a relaxed romantic approach to landscape, en vogue in 18th-century France. Whether designing an actual outdoor garden or creating a park on canvas, Robert shunned rigid symmetric plantings, preferring more natural and unpredictable surroundings, where a visitor might come upon a picturesque spot or grand vista quite by accident. The Water Jet reveals a set of crumbling weathered steps leading to a terrace with visitors leaning over the railing to watch the refreshing spray. Sunlight filters through the canopy of leaves, as families at leisure recline and play, adding an air of simple cheerful quietude to the setting. The conservation of this period frame was made possible with the generous support of The Richard C. on Hess Foundation.