Sketchbook page c. 1776

Curator: This page, found in a sketchbook by Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin, features two studies, a rider on horseback and a portrait. The delicate pencil lines seem to capture movement and character with surprising immediacy. Editor: I'm immediately struck by the contrast. The rider, so active, poised mid-jump, versus the introspective face below, seemingly weighed down by something. Curator: Notice how the rider, likely a symbol of authority and aristocracy, is rendered with energy. Horses were emblems of power and status, deeply embedded in the visual vocabulary of the time. Editor: Power upheld by class structures that benefited some while suppressing others. Was Saint-Aubin interrogating these systems, or simply sketching the world around him? The pensive face seems to reflect those inequalities. Curator: It’s intriguing how Saint-Aubin uses simple lines to convey complex emotions, even in preliminary sketches. The face, rendered with subtle shading, feels deeply human, contrasting with the performative spectacle of the equestrian figure. Editor: The artist offers a glimpse into both the outward performance of power and the inner lives affected by it, a duality that resonates even today. Curator: Indeed, these rapid sketches offer a window into 18th-century society and the enduring symbolism of power. Editor: It is the tension between these figures, captured in a fleeting moment, that really captivates me.