Attributed to Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin, French 1724-1780- Figure sketches;...

Attributed to Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin,
French 1724-1780-

Figure sketches;

black and red chalk on laid paper, with a black chalk, pen and black ink sketch of a woman verso, 14.7 x 21 cm.

Provenance:
with Hippolyte Destailleur (1822-1893) [Lugt 740].
with ‘Groult’, possibly Camille Groult (1837-1908), both according to the label attached to the reverse of the backing board.
Private Collection, UK (by descent).

Note:
De Saint-Aubin was a prolific draughtsman, whose sketches are defined by his loose, sinuous lines, imparting them with a sense of freshness and immediacy. His subject-matter was wide-ranging, from fêtes galante to religious and allegorical scenes, which intrinsically reveal his tendency towards figural compositions, for which the execution of figure studies would have been crucial.

The present work possibly relates to a figure study of seated women which sold at Drouot-Richelieu, Paris, 26 June 1998, lot 76, in which De Saint-Aubin also explores the geometric shapes which make up the depiction of the figures, and the rounded forms of their dresses. It is possible that both drawings, which are of similar dimensions, originated in the same sketchbook.