Self Portrait in a Medallion
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin French
Not on view
The portrait medallion was a format Saint-Aubin often used to flatter others. Here, he depicted himself with a formality rarely seen in his work. He is presented in profile, elegantly coiffed and dressed. His name curves around the border in uppercase lettering reminiscent of Roman antiquity. It is followed by an inscription—"drawn by himself" (dessiné par lui même)—in his typically minuscule handwriting.
In a note of whimsy in an otherwise sober portrayal, a trompe l’oeil ribbon attaches the medal to a planar surface and casts a shadow, a device undoubtedly borrowed from his younger brother’s portrait engravings. This conceit aligns with the idea that the drawing was not simply meant to commemorate himself but to anticipate the approbation of posterity.
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