Sheet of Studies

Although the various drawings on this page were executed in different media and at different times, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin achieved a remarkable sense of balance and unity among the motifs. The two most prominent sketches--the Birth of Venus, a drawing after a contemporary sculpture in the upper left, and a seated woman reading in the lower right--are joined by two fascinating characters. A black-chalk drawing of a seated writer appears to float between the two larger sketches of the Birth of Venus. A drawing of a young artist at work, executed in pen and ink and red and white chalk, appears in the lower left corner.

Saint-Aubin brought together many of his favorite subjects--the artist at work, women reading, and contemporary art--in a lively and engaging way on this sheet. While drawing in his sketchbook, he kept in mind the arrangement of elements, cleverly organizing the subjects so that they correspond to one another. The statue, for example, forms a visual parallel with the reading woman, as both figures look down to the right. Saint-Aubin also added an area of red watercolor on the right side of the sheet, echoing the red-chalk drawing of the artist at work and thereby balancing the composition.