Allegorie op de dood van Voltaire

About this artwork

collector's mark, verso, on the mount, lower centre: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Allegorie op de Dood van Voltaire** Jacques de Saint-Aubin a prolific French draftsman and engraver active in the Rococo era created this poignant pen drawing between 1778 and 1780. Measuring a modest 198 × mm, it serves as an intimate allegory on the death of Voltaire, the Enlightenment philosopher who passed away in May 1778 at age 83. Saint-Aubin, known for his intricate vignettes and satirical scenes capturing Parisian life, here channels the cultural shockwaves of Voltaire's demise—a figure whose wit and critiques had shaped 18th-century thought. The title, translating to "Allegory...

About the Artist

Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin · 1724–1780

Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin (14 April 1724 – 14 February 1780) was born in Paris into an artistic family — one of fourteen children of the court embroiderer and engraver G.-G. de Saint-Aubin. Art ran deep in the family: his brothers Charles Germain and Augustin de Saint-Aubin were also accomplished artists. Gabriel received his earliest training at home before entering the studios of Étienne Je...