A Portrait Medallion of King Louis XV Surrounded by Putti Carrying the Attributes of Fame and History
Medium
Graphite, with traces of pen and black ink, on parchment, tipped onto white paper, tipped on blue card
Dimensions
Primary/secondary supports: 12 × 14.6 cm (4 3/4 × 5 3/4 in.); Tertiary support: 15.5 × 19.5 cm (6 1/8 × 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
prints and drawing
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
186412
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Although Gabriel de Saint-Aubin failed in his attempts to be accepted by the Royal Academy as a history painter, he never gave up entirely his work in historical subjects, and he loved to endow political figures with ornamental relish. This drawing might have decorated a treatise; it is inscribed by the artist with the declaration “The Heart of the French (Le Coeur des Français)” and signed and dated January 11, 1774.
About the Artist
Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin · 1724–1780
Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin (14 April 1724 – 14 February 1780) was born in Paris into an artistic family — one of fourteen children of the court embroiderer and engraver G.-G. de Saint-Aubin. Art ran deep in the family: his brothers Charles Germain and Augustin de Saint-Aubin were also accomplished artists. Gabriel received his earliest training at home before entering the studios of Étienne Je...