:Miniaturist,
Saint-Aubin drew on years of observation of upper and lower classes and street life in his hometown in creating "Society Promenade," 1760, depicting a gathering of a mixed group of wealthy and humble Parisians. The Hermitage, Saint Petersburg.
gifted draftsman, able painter and keen observer of human behavior in Eighteenth Century Paris, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin was one of the most prolific, insightful and talented artists of his day, yet he remains little known today. His unmatched ability to capture and convey events and moments in time made him an embodiment of contemporary Parisian life — essentially a history painter of his time.
In this context, "Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724–1780)," the first major retrospective of the artist in more than 80 years, is an introduction to a singular figure about whom more should be known. It was organized for The Frick Collection, where it will be on view through January 27, by chief curator Colin B. Bailey and guest curator Kim de Beaumont. Collaborating colleagues at the Musee du Louvre, where it will be seen February 27–May 26, are president-director emeritus Pierre Rosenberg and chief curator of drawings Christophe Leribault. The show comprises some 50 drawings and a few paintings from Saint-Aubin's large and varied oeuvre.
Explaining the organizers' mission, Rosenberg observes that "Of all the great Eighteenth Century French artists, Saint-Aubin is still the most underrated, one of the least famous, one of the least understood." Concurring, Bailey notes that in spite of Saint-Aubin's keen observations, artistic gifts and prolific output, "this engaging and truly original artist is hardly known today." In introducing him to a larger audience, Bailey calls Saint-Aubin "a draftsman of genius; a brilliant, if idiosyncratic engraver; and an engaging, if not always successful, painter."
A lifelong Parisian, Saint-Aubin was born into a family of skilled craftsmen. His father was embroiderer to the king for three decades. Gabriel was the most talented of four brothers. The eldest, Charles-Germain, created and wrote a treatise on embroidery designs and produced volumes of engravings after his delicate watercolor studies of flowers. The younger and less skilled Louis-Michel was a porcelain painter at the Sevres factory. The youngest, Augustin, became well-known for his outstanding engravings, some based on the work of such contemporary painters as Boucher, Fragonard and Greuze.
In a rare but accomplished painting, "A Street Show in Paris,” 1760, Saint-Aubin recorded one of the many sights he encountered on the boulevards of his beloved Paris. National Gallery, London.
Gabriel studied at the French Royal Academy, hoping to become a history painter. But after he failed several times to win the prize that would have enabled him to train in Rome — once losing out to Fragonard — he set aside plans for a traditional artistic career and took up anecdotal depictions of daily life in Paris in all its varied aspects.
"He was first and foremost a tireless stroller, an assiduous footloose 'flaneur' of Paris," writes Rosenberg in the catalog.
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