Ballet from "The Rival Fairies"

1748

Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin

Associated Names
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin

Artist, French, 1724 - 1780

This is a drawing of a grand ball or dance scene. The image depicts a group of figures elegantly dressed in flowing gowns and elaborate costumes partaking in a courtly dance inside a palatial hall. The intricate pencil and ink lines suggest movement and grace. The figures are in motion, some twirling while others maintain poised gestures. The background features ornate architectural details with tall columns and arches, enhancing the grandeur of the setting. This is rendered with light shading and careful line work, creating a sense of depth and drama. The drawing conveys an atmosphere of elegance and celebration.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.
Not on view See artworks now on view

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and black ink with gray wash on light beige laid paper, with a loose border line by the artist in pen and gray ink

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Gertrude Laughlin Chanler

  • Dimensions

    overall: 13.7 x 20.6 cm (5 3/8 x 8 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2000.9.23.a

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Dacier 1931, no. 774

Associated Artworks

The drawing features sketched figures and cherubic faces. The left side shows rough sketches of groups of figures in various poses. The right side displays three cherubic faces drawn with cursory strokes, highlighted with swirling lines. The faces are arranged vertically, adding a playful tone to the composition. The style of the drawing and free-flowing lines suggest a dynamic sketch capturing the lively motion of the figures.

Sketches of Dancers and Heads of Putti

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin

1748

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

M. Pérignon (his sale, Paris, 30-31 May 1864); his son, A. Pérignon (his sale, Paris, 17-23 May 1865, no. 141). Private collection (sale, Paris, 20-21 May 1873, no. 127). M. Audouin, by 1877. (Thomas Agnew and Sons, London); The Hon. Irwin Boyle Laughlin, 1917, Washington, D.C.; his wife, Therese Iselin Laughlin, Washington, D.C., 1941; their daughter, Gertrude Laughlin Chanler, New York, 1958; gift to NGA, 2000.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1982

  • Eighteenth Century Drawings from the Collection of Mrs. Gertrude Laughlin Chanler, NGA, Washington, D.C., 1982, no. 20.

2000

  • Drawings and Prints from the Permanent Collection (Summer 2000), National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2000 (no catalogue).

2009

  • Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500-1800. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2009, 152-153, 284, no. 65 (color; recto and verso).

Bibliography

1877

  • Portalis, Baron Roger. Les dessinateurs d'illustrations au 18e siècle. 2 parts in 4 vols. Paris, 1877, 2 (pt. 1): 568.

1880

  • Goncourt, Edmond, and Jules de Goncourt. L'Art du dix-huitième siècle. 2 vols. Paris, 1880-1884: 1:448 n. 1.

1924

  • Sharp, C. J. and A. P. Oppé. The Dance, An Historical Survey of Dancing in Europe. London, 1924: pl. 51.

1929

  • Dacier, Émile. Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, peintre, dessinateur et graveur. 2 vols. Paris, 1929-1931, 2: 137, no. 774.

2003

  • Grasselli, Margaret Morgan. Review of Jon Whiteley, Catalogue of the Collection of Drawings in the Ashmolean Museum, vol. 7, French School, Master Drawings 41, no. 1, Spring, 2003: 66 (under no. 827), 68 note 14.

Inscriptions

by the artist in pen and gray ink at lower left: ballet des fée rivalles italiens

Wikidata ID

Q64570997

You may be interested in

Loading Results