Who painted Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box?

Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box was painted by Louis Aubert in 1755.

Where can I see Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box?

Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box?

Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box

Louis Aubert , 1755

Seated Man Holding a Snuff Box is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Louis Aubert. It dates from 1755 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1755, this drawing by Louis Aubert, known as le Fils, presents a seated gentleman in a three‑quarter pose. The figure holds a small snuff box, his posture relaxed and his expression calm, offering a concise glimpse of mid‑eighteenth‑century portraiture.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a moment of genteel leisure, emphasizing the social practice of snuff taking that was fashionable among the French elite. The man's refined clothing and composed demeanor reflect the cultivated manners and personal refinement valued in the period.

Technique & Style

Executed in fine pen and wash, the drawing relies on delicate line work to delineate the subject’s attire and facial features. Aubert’s handling of light and shadow suggests a subtle modeling of form, while the restrained palette underscores the drawing’s intimate, observational quality.

History & Provenance

Louis Aubert (le Fils) was active as both a painter and a composer in mid‑18th‑century France, following the artistic lineage of his father, violinist‑composer Jacques Aubert. The drawing has remained within private collections, with no recorded public exhibition until recent scholarly interest in Aubert’s lesser‑known visual output.

Context

During the 1750s, French portraiture often highlighted the accessories that signified status, such as snuff boxes, which served both as luxury items and as symbols of cultivated taste. This drawing aligns with contemporary conventions that combined personal likeness with subtle indicators of social rank.

Artist & collection

Artist

Louis Aubert

Louis Aubert, called le Fils, (15 May 1720, in Paris – c. 1800) was an 18th-century French painter and composer, active from 1740 to 1780. The violinist and composer Jacques Aubert was his father and Abbé Aubert (1731–1814) his brother.