Les Nouvellistes

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin

1752 · Etching, early state · Drawings and Prints

Saint-Aubin’s prints were products of a messy and improvisational technique. He was not a specialist in the medium and appears to have alternated between inspiration and frustration, often returning years later to rework plates. Inside an elegant café, five men lean in around a stove to share news or trade stories. In the background, flanking the central group, are two flirtatious couples, each seemingly made up of a male customer and a female employee. As often is the case with Saint-Aubin, the spaces of the city capture his attention as settings for human drama.

Artist

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin

Date

1752

Medium

Etching, early state

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1939