Sketchbook page c. 1776

Editor: Here we have a sketchbook page by Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin. It's a delicate graphite sketch, seemingly capturing a moment in time. What do you see in this piece beyond the surface? Curator: I see the raw process of art-making. The visible text detailing "vente Fournelle, 46 tableaux, 8 sculptures," positions this page as a commodity record, deeply intertwined with the art market and Saint-Aubin's labor within that system. Editor: So, it's less about the figures themselves and more about… Curator: …the circumstances of its production and consumption. The materiality of the graphite, the sketchbook's inherent portability, all speak to the artist's role as a recorder and participant in the 18th-century art world. Editor: That's a fascinating way to look at it, I hadn't considered the economic aspect so directly. Curator: By considering the means of production, we challenge the traditional focus on aesthetics alone.