Allegorical Frame with a Bat c. 1769

Editor: So, this is Gabriel de Saint-Aubin's "Allegorical Frame with a Bat," a pencil drawing on toned paper from around 1769. It feels very...contained. Almost claustrophobic with that elaborate frame. What's your take? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, let’s think about what constitutes "art" in Saint-Aubin’s time. The production here relies heavily on the labor of creating the toned paper itself – how was that achieved? What minerals or plant-based materials gave it this color? And consider that highly decorative frame. It features a bat motif—are those real bats or fanciful ornamentations? What kind of artisanal craft would have gone into making a frame like that? Editor: That’s true. The materials themselves become significant. So it’s not just about the allegorical scene, but also the social and economic context of creating these objects? Curator: Precisely. The labor is inherent in the finished work, right down to the details within that frame – the implied craftsmanship is vital to how we interpret the drawing and how people would've interpreted it at the time. Consider the price of these materials in the 18th century; what level of consumption are we observing? Who had access to artmaking at that time? Editor: That puts the Rococo style in a new light. Not just frivolous ornamentation, but also a product of its time and labor. And is it common to have the inclusion of the Bat symbol, instead of something more noble? Curator: The bat does seem counter to many traditional symbols. Ask yourself: why the artist chose to add this figure instead of any other in his drawings? I agree it appears very frequently and perhaps can tell us a thing or two about this artist himself, perhaps subverting societal expectations. Editor: I've definitely got a lot more to think about. I never considered the sheer amount of craftsmanship in Rococo art. Thanks for pointing it out! Curator: Anytime. Reflecting on the materials really opens up new ways of interpreting even the seemingly frivolous.