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Revelers at a Table in the Countryside

1760s
Not on view
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Revelers at a Table in the Countryside
  • Artist: Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, Paris 1724–1780 Paris)
  • Date: 1760s
  • Medium: Pen and black ink with bister wash over black chalk
  • Dimensions: 9 15/16 × 7 11/16 in. (25.3 × 19.6 cm)
    Framed: 24 × 18 in. (61 × 45.7 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.701
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

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