Pose de la premiere pierre de la nouvelle eglise Sainte-Genevieve

Art Historical Context

This etching by Gabriel de-Aubin and Pierre Chenu captures the ceremonial laying of the first stone for the new Church of Sainte-Geneviève in Paris. Created in 1766, the print records a pivotal moment in the city’s architectural history, when construction began on what would later become the Panthéon. The modest dimensions and precise line work invite viewers to examine the gathered figures and the emerging structure, reflecting the era’s fascination with grand public projects under Louis XV. Saint-Aubin, known for his lively depictions of contemporary Parisian life, often turned to etching to document significant events quickly and affordably. Here, the medium allows fine architectural detail and a sense of crowd activity, making the scene both informative and engaging. The collaboration with Chenu, likely as engraver, ensured the image reached a wider audience through prints. As a record of an important building campaign, the work highlights how art and architecture intertwined in 18th-century France. Today it offers museum visitors a vivid glimpse of the excitement surrounding one of Paris’s most enduring monuments.

About the Artist

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin|Pierre Chenu · 1724–1780

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724–1780) was one of the most vivid and irrepressible graphic artists of eighteenth-century France, a tireless draughtsman whose sketchbooks and prints constitute an extraordinary visual chronicle of Parisian life during the Ancien Régime. Born into a family with strong connections to the decorative arts — his father was an embroiderer to the king — Saint-Aubin received fo...