Portrait of Marie de Rabutin, Mise de Sévigné

Art Historical Context

This etching by Augustin de Saint-Aubin captures the likeness of Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné (1626–1696), one of France’s most celebrated literary figures. Known for her vivid and witty letters that offer a window into 17th-century aristocratic life, Madame de Sévigné was already an icon of French culture by the time this print was made in 1802. Created more than a century after her death, the portrait reflects a continued fascination with her legacy during the Napoleonic era, when interest in France’s literary past remained strong. Saint-Aubin, a skilled French engraver active in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, worked primarily in etching and engraving. These techniques allowed artists to produce multiple impressions, making portraits of notable individuals widely available to collectors and the public. The present work is identified as the third and final state of the plate, indicating that Saint-Aubin refined the image through successive adjustments before completing the edition. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this modest yet elegant sheet (roughly 8¾ by 5⅞ inches) exemplifies how printmaking served both as an artistic medium and a means of cultural preservation. Through fine lines and careful shading, the etching conveys not only Sévigné’s features but also her enduring status as a symbol of French literary elegance.

About the Artist

Augustin de Saint-Aubin · 1736–1807

Comment on works: Illustrator; Engraver