A Conference of Lawyers
Medium
Etching, second state of two
Dimensions
sheet: 7 11/16 x 5 1/4 in. (19.6 x 13.3 cm) image: 6 15/16 x 4 11/16 in. (17.6 x 11.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Derald H. and Janet Ruttenberg Gift, 1985
Accession Number
1985.1014
Tags
Art Historical Context
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin’s *A Conference of Lawyers* (1776) is a witty etching from the second state of two, capturing the bustling intellectual world of 18th-century Paris. This intimate print, measuring just under 7 by 5 inches, exemplifies Saint-Aubin’s mastery of the etching technique, where acid bites into a metal plate to create fine, expressive lines. As a prolific French artist and engraver active during the Rococo era’s twilight, Saint-Aubin often infused his works with satire, blending detailed observation with playful commentary on contemporary society. The scene depicts a group of m...
About the Artist
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin · 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...