Merope

1750

Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin

Associated Names
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin

Artist, French, 1724 - 1780

This is a drawing of a theatrical scene set in an ornate architectural environment. The composition displays an elaborately detailed scene inside a grand hall featuring classical architectural elements such as columns and an intricately decorated domed ceiling. The space is populated by figures engaged in an intense scene that appears to involve dramatic action or dialogue, as indicated by their expressive gestures. The surroundings are sumptuously decorated, creating a rich, textured background that enhances the sense of drama. The style of the drawing, with fine lines and shaded details, suggests a meticulous and illustrative approach typical of the 18th century, reflecting the artistic skill in creating depth and atmosphere.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 16.7 × 12.8 cm (6 9/16 × 5 1/16 in.)
    sheet: 17.4 × 13.6 cm (6 7/8 × 5 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1964.8.1505

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Dacier 1914, no. 4

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Ernest-Théophile Devaulx (1831-1901), Paris, 1880 (Lugt 670). Henri Joachim Delacroix (1873-1937), Paris (Lugt 3604)

Associated Names

Bibliography

1914

  • Dacier, Emile. L'oeuvre grave de Gabriel de Saint-Aubin; notice biographique et catalogue raisonne. Paris: Societe pour l'Etude de la Gravure Francaise, 1914.

Inscriptions

recto: in plate, below image at left: Gabriel de Saint aubin f. t. 1750; in plate, below image, at center: Mèroppe. acte 5; verso: at lower right in brown ink: Ernest Devaulx / 1880 (Lugt 670); at center in graphite in later hand: No 217

Markings

recto: none; verso: Henri Joachim Delacroix (Lugt 3604), unidentified mark ["Cont...ie / T. P." in oval stamped in blue, above which is written in brown ink "No. 2177", and National Gallery of Art

Watermarks

none

Wikidata ID

Q65508487

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