Allegory Of Purity

This young woman drawn from the front, a crown of roses elegantly placed on her head, holds a pearl necklace in her hand. This allegory of purity is a counterpart to an allegory of voluptuousness, also drawn by Saint-Aubin in 1773 and in the same format as ours. It seems that the pair was put up for sale at Drouot in 2006. In 2024, the drawings were put up for sale again at Drouot, this time separately. Augustin de Saint-Aubin (1736-1807) belonged to an important family of French draftsmen and engravers. He received his first lessons from his brother Gabriel-Jacques. A pupil of Etienne Fessard then of Laurent Cars, he very quickly excelled in Drawing and Engraving. Presented by Charles-Nicolas Cochin fils, Augustin de Saint-Aubin was accepted at the Royal Academy in 1771 but later did not present one of the pieces required for his reception. Portraitist as well as history painter and illustrator, he was appointed Engraver of the King's Library in 1777. He died in Paris in 1807. Augustin de Saint-Aubin is the designer or engraver of many allegories, often relating to famous men or notable events. Details: - Signed and dated 1773. - Graphite and watercolor. - Sold framed. - Light foxing and small stain at the top right. - Has an old label from an auction house on the back.