Gabriel-Jacques de Saint-Aubin

Marcel Thévenin (1843-1924),

His sale, Paris, 28 April 1906, lot 83;

Acquired there by Henri-Joachim Delacroix (1873-1937) (bears his mark, not in Lugt),

His sale, Paris, Palais Galliera, 31 March 1962, lot 74;

With Galerie Cailleux, Paris;

From whom acquired by Comte Christian Humann-Guilleminot (1929-1981), Paris;

Thence by inheritance to Claus Virsch (1927-2012);

Anonymous sale, New York, Christie's, 28 January 2000, lot 64 (withdrawn);

With Galerie Didier Aaron, Paris;

From whom acquired by the present owner, 2010.

É. Dacier, “Gabriel de Saint-Aubin et Sébastien Mercier,” in La Revue de l’Art Ancien et Moderne 61, 1929, pp. 179-192, reproduced;

É. Dacier, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin peintre, dessinateur et graveur (1724-1780), vol. I, L’Homme et l’Oeuvre, Paris and Brussels, vol. I, Paris 1929, reproduced plate VII; vol. II, Paris 1931, cat. no. 772, reproduced plate VII.

Paris, Hôtel Jean Charpentier, Exposition des Saint-Aubin organisée par la Société artistique des amateurs, 1925, no. 14;

Paris, Musée Carnavalet, Paris au XVIII^e siècle: Rétif de la Bretonne, le Paris populaire, Carmontelle, le Paris mondain, 1934, no. 69;

Paris, Musée Carnavalet, Cent chefs-d’oeuvre des collections parisiennes, 1950, no. 70;

Paris, Galerie Didier Aaron, Tableaux et dessins, 1992, no. 13.

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin was the consummate artistic journalist of his time, recording in his brilliantly accomplished drawings both great and common events of the day, whether political, artistic or more broadly cultural. His copies, for example, of the catalogues of the most important art auctions that he attended, liberally illustrated – rather in the manner of a present-day courtroom artist – with his own mostly thumbnail sketches in the margins, recording the compositions of the more important works, are a unique window into the 18^th-century Paris art market.

The theatre played just as significant role in Saint-Aubin’s art; indeed, one of his most celebrated drawings of all is his depiction of the ceremonial ‘coronation’ of Voltaire, which took place at the Théâtre Français on 30 March 1778.¹ The present work, a small-scale oil sketch on paper that in some ways falls between the artist’s paintings and his drawings in terms of approach, illustrates a scene from Le Déserteur, a drama by the popular playwright Louis-Sébastien Mercier (1740-1814), which was later turned into a successful opera, and even ultimately a film. The play was first published in 1770, but not performed in Paris until 1782, two years after Saint-Aubin’s death, so this oil sketch, which is also dated 1770, must relate to the publication of the text, rather than recording a scene from a live performance. Most likely, it could have been made as a sketch for a frontispiece engraving, though in the event the publisher actually used a different scene, engraved by Ghendt after a drawing by Marillier.

The scene depicted, which takes place in a small German village near the French border (explaining the presence of the double-headed eagle on the door in the background), is found in the fifth and final act of the play, which tells the story of the ‘hero’ Dorimel, who had deserted from the French army seven years earlier. Dorimel is due to marry Clary, the daughter of Madame Luzère. At that moment, the war brings to the village his former regiment. Betrayed by a rival, he is arrested, tried, and condemned to death. The bride-to-be’s mother appeals for mercy to an elderly officer of the regiment, lodging in her house, who then recognises Dorimel as his own son. The father cannot save his son, but obtains permission for him to remain at liberty until the moment of his execution.

Dorimel and Clary promptly marry, and in the morning the officer comes to take his son, who has nobly passed up the opportunity to escape. The moment depicted here is when Dorimel says his final farewell to his new bride and her parents.  

 ¹ Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. RF 32743