Theatre Scene (recto)

c. 1765–75

Theatre Scene (recto), c. 1765–75. Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (French, 1724–1780). Pen and brown ink, black crayon and pink wash on laid paper (recto); sheet: 21.7 x 17 cm (8 9/16 x 6 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2019.256.a Gabriel de Saint-Aubin was known for his distinctively sketchy style and interest in depicting performances such as dance and theater, the subjects seen here. The artist developed a distinctive composite style of sketching, and this work exemplifies his practice of covering both sides of a sheet of paper with diverse images in varying media. Because of Gabriel de Saint-Aubin’s focus on social events and contemporary culture, his drawings are considered important records of eighteenth-century Parisian life.