Augustin de Saint-Aubin

Draftsman and engraver coming from a famous artists family, Augustin de Saint-Aubin began his training under his brother Gabriel de Saint-Aubin and went on under the engravers Etienne Fessard and Nicolas-Henry Tardieu. He was agréé to the Academy in 1771 but never became academician, for lack of not having presented his morceau de réception. Augustin de Saint-Aubin exhibited his drawings and engravings at the Salon between 1771 and 1793. He was the author of numerous portraits, coats of arms, book illustrations as well as religious, mythological and genre scenes that he engraved himself. He engraved also the drawings of other artists like those by François Boucher or Charles-Nicolas Cochin. And other engravers reproduced also his drawings. Bocher catalogued more than 1 300 prints executed by or after Augustin de Saint-Aubin including 356 portraits. The artist was appointed in 1776 Draftsman and Engraver of the Royal Library. He work then for the Duc of Orléans for whom he supervised among other the reproduction of the collection of gemstones in two volumes.