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At Least Be Discreet

1789

Augustin de Saint-Aubin

(French, 1736–1807)
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Culture
France, 18th century
Medium
etching and engraving
Measurements
Sheet: 38.5 x 27.9 cm (15 3/16 x 11 in.); Platemark: 36.6 x 26.6 cm (14 7/16 x 10 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
James Parmelee Fund 2008.111.1
Catalogue raisonné
Bocher nos. 406-407; Portalis and Beraldi, vol. II, part II, p. 442, no. 9
State
II/V
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Together these pendant prints depict a couple saying farewell after a romantic rendezvous. Still partially undressed, the woman cautions her lover to keep their tryst a secret. Both the man and the cherub beneath him proudly display a plucked rose as a symbol of sexual triumph. Meanwhile, below the woman, a blindfolded cupid steps toward a precipice, a sign that this lady is about to fall dangerously in love with a rogue. Amusingly, the prints actually depict the artist and his wife, whimsically portraying the mores and fashion of aristocratic society.
A vertically oriented etching and engraving depicts a woman with light skin tone inside a large oval frame. Facing our right in profile, she wears a ruffled cap and a dress with a low neckline. She raises one hand with a finger near her lips while gesturing with the other near her chest. Below, a small oval contains a winged child in a landscape. The scene features a textured, hatched background.

At Least Be Discreet

1789

Augustin de Saint-Aubin

(French, 1736–1807)
France, 18th century

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