Sketches of Dancers and Heads of Putti
Medium
pen and black ink with gray wash on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 13.7 x 20.6 cm (5 3/8 x 8 1/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Gertrude Laughlin Chanler
Accession Number
2000.9.23.b
Art Historical Context
Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin, a prolific French draftsman of the Rococo era, created *Sketches of Dancers and Heads of Putti in 1748, the whimsical spirit of mid-18th-century Paris. This intimate drawing on laid paper features lively studies of graceful dancers in flowing poses alongside the cherubic heads of putti—those plump, playful infant figures emblematic of Rococo ornamentation. At just 13.7 x 20.6 cm, it evokes the spontaneity of an artist's sketchbook, likely inspired by the vibrant theatrical world of the Opéra, where Saint-Aubin often documented performers. Rendered in pen and bl...
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...