Reconciliation of Absalom and David (Réconciliation d'Absalom et de David)
Medium
etching reworked in graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 16 × 21.3 cm (6 5/16 × 8 3/8 in.) sheet: 17.2 × 22.6 cm (6 3/4 × 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1958.8.136
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin's *Reconciliation of Absalom and David (1752) captures poignant biblical moment from the Old Testament (2 Samuel 14). Here, the rebellious prince Absalom kneels before his father, King David, in a dramatic embrace symbolizing forgiveness and familial restoration. Created during the height of the French Rococo, Saint-Aubin—a prolific engraver from a renowned artistic family—infuses the scene with elegant lines and emotional intimacy, reflecting the period's taste for theatrical narratives drawn from history an...
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...