Royal Review of the Troops
Medium
graphite and black chalk, pen and brown ink with gray-brown wash and watercolor on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 31.1 x 46.7 cm (12 1/4 x 18 3/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Gertrude Laughlin Chanler
Accession Number
2000.9.24
Art Historical Context
Step into the grandeur of 18th-century with *Royal Review of the Troops*, vibrant drawing by Gabriel Jacques de Saintubin from the 176s. Saint-Aubin, a masterful French draftsman and engraver active in Paris, captured the spectacle of royal military parades—lavish displays of monarchical power under Louis XV. These events drew crowds to witness disciplined ranks of soldiers saluting their sovereign, blending pomp with the lively energy of public gatherings that defined Rococo-era society. Crafted on laid paper with graphite and black chalk for precise underdrawing, pen and brown ink for dynam...
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...