Artwork
At Least Be Discreet
At Least Be Discreet is a print by the Romanticist artist Augustin de Saint-Aubin. It dates from 1789 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
This print shows a man and woman in a bedroom. The woman is half-dressed. She points up to a blindfolded cupid near a cliff. The man and a cherub hold a rose.
Saint-Aubin based it on his own secret affair with his wife. The scene feels playful yet risky, like a private joke turned into art.
Look up Augustin de Saint-Aubin (French, 1736–1807).
Overview
At Least Be Discreet is a print by Augustin de Saint-Aubin, a French artist active in the 18th century. It is part of a pair of pendant prints depicting a couple after a romantic encounter.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows a partially dressed woman cautioning her lover to discretion, referencing the secrecy required for their tryst. Symbols such as a plucked rose and a blindfolded cupid near a precipice suggest themes of love, risk, and potential heartache.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by its playful yet risqué tone, reflecting the mores and fashion of aristocratic society. The scene is rendered with a sense of whimsy, capturing a private moment turned into art.
History & Provenance
The print is believed to be based on the artist's own relationship with his wife, suggesting a personal element to the work. Augustin de Saint-Aubin, the artist, was active in France from 1736 to 1807.
Artist & collection
Artist
Augustin de Saint-Aubin sometimes styled Auguste de Saint-Aubin (3 January 1736 – 9 November 1807), belongs to an important dynasty of French designers and engravers.
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