Revelers at a Table in the Countryside

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 690

An obsessive draftsman and lifelong Parisian, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin chose local street scenes, theatrical performances, and festive gatherings as the main subjects of his art. The setting of Revelers at a Table in the Countryside was probably a rural tavern outside Paris, situated beyond the city walls to circumvent the city’s wine tax. The dapper individuals eat, drink, and flirt contentedly in a scene
that has all the charm and delicate sophistication of an eighteenth-century fête galante. The cheery respite from urban life recalls seventeenth-century Dutch genre scenes of merry companies congregating for a countryside festival or a tavern feast. Saint-Aubin’s spontaneous technique and vivacious use of line expresses the celebratory nature of drawings such as this one, intended purely for pleasure.

Revelers at a Table in the Countryside, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, Paris 1724–1780 Paris), Pen and black ink with bister wash over black chalk

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Revelers at a Table in the Countryside, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, Paris 1724–1780 Paris), Pen and black ink with bister wash over black chalk
Revelers at a Table in the Countryside, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, Paris 1724–1780 Paris), Pen and black ink with bister wash over black chalk

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