Fleuron on the Title Page, from Dissertation sur les attributs de Vénus qui a obtenu l'Accessit au judgement de l'Académie Royale des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres à la séance ublique du mois de Novembre 1775. Par M. L'Abbé de La Chau, biliothécaire, secrétaire Interprète et Garde du Cabinet des Pierres gravées de S. A. S. M.gr le Duc d'Orléans. A Paris. de l'Imprimerie de Prault. Imprimeur du Roi quai Gêvres. et se trouve chez Pissot Libraire ru Hurepoix

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching and engraving, titled *Fleuron on the Title Page adorns the 1776 publication *Dissertation sur attributs de Vénus*. by the accomplished French engraver Augustin de Saint-Aubin it served as an ornamental vignette for a scholarly treatise by M. l'Abbé de La, a librarian and secretary to the Duke of Orléans. The dissertation, which earned an "accessit" (honorable mention) from the Académie Royale desscriptions et Belles-Lres in 1775, explored the mythological attributes of Venus, reflecting the Enlightenment-era fascination with classical antiquity and antiquarian studies. Printed by Prault and sold by Pissot, the work exemplifies the refined book arts of late 18th-century France. Saint-Aubin's rococo-influenced technique shines in this third state of three (as catalogued by Bocher), blending etching's fluid lines with engraving's precision to evoke Venusian themes—likely featuring graceful female nudes amid decorative flourishes. Measuring just 3 1/8 × 4 7/16 inches on the sheet, its intimate scale highlights the era's mastery of small-scale prints for luxury volumes. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of the Estate of Ogden Codman, 1951), it captures a moment when art, scholarship, and mythology intertwined, inviting visitors to appreciate the elegance of 18th-century intellectual culture.

About the Artist

Augustin de Saint-Aubin|Pissot|l'Imprimerie de Prault|M. l'Abbe de la Chau · 1736–1807

Comment on works: Illustrator; Engraver