Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724–1780) was a prolific and unconventional draftsman whose imagery offers an unparalleled view of life in eighteenth-century Paris. With subjects that range from the elevated to the mundane, his work brims with wit and humanity but eludes easy categorization.

Three talks will explore some of the topics and questions raised by the soon-to-close exhibition Paris through the Eyes of Saint-Aubin, on view at The Met through February 4, 2025. The show celebrates the 300th anniversary of the artist’s birth as well as a recently promised gift that will significantly expand the museum’s holdings.

“Going Shopping with Saint-Aubin”
Perrin Stein, Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Tinkering on Paper and Copper: Gabriel de Saint-Aubin at the Crossroads of Drawing and Printmaking”
Rena M. Hoisington, Curator of Old Master and Nineteenth-Century Prints, National Gallery of Art

“From Paris to Stockholm: Gabriel de Saint-Aubin’s Last Solitary Promenades”
Kim de Beaumont, Adjunct Professor and Undergraduate Major Advisor for Art History, Hunter College

Following the talks, attendees are invited to view the exhibition, Paris through the Eyes of Saint-Aubin on view in Gallery 690.

This event was organized by The Drawing Foundation in partnership with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in association with Master Drawings New York 2025. This event is made possible through the generous support of Hubert and Mireille Goldschmidt, David Leventhal, and Alan Templeton. 

Image: Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724–1780), Sheet of Studies (detail), 1776, black chalk, pen and black ink, touches of colored washes. Promised Gift of Stephen A. Geiger, in memory of his parents, Howard W. Geiger and Mildred K. Geiger, and in honor of his brother, Julian R. Geiger, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, PG.Geiger.2022.12