Artwork
Despreaux-Nicolas Boileau
Despreaux-Nicolas Boileau is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Augustin de Saint-Aubin. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Despreaux-Nicolas Boileau is an engraving over etching on laid paper created by Augustin de Saint-Aubin in 1800. This black-and-white portrait depicts a man with curly hair and a high forehead, turned slightly to the side, within a decorative oval border. The subject is identified as BOULEAU in a text box below.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait is of Despreaux-Nicolas Boileau, likely referencing the 17th-century French poet and literary critic Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux. The accurate representation suggests the engraving may have been intended for educational, literary, or commemorative purposes.
Technique & Style
Saint-Aubin employed a layered line technique to achieve textured shading, characteristic of French printmaking traditions of the late 18th century. The use of engraving over etching allowed for detailed, intricate work, as seen in the subject's curls and the decorative border.
History & Provenance
Created in 1800 by Augustin de Saint-Aubin, a member of a renowned French family of designers and engravers. Specific provenance details are not provided, but the work reflects the artist's roots in French printmaking.
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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