Frère Luce 1767

"Frère Luce," a 1767 etching by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, portrays a scene of three women gathered near a church ruin. The print, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts a sense of serene solitude through the careful composition of figures and landscape. The women are dressed in flowing gowns, their forms rendered with delicate lines. One figure is seated on a stone, seemingly lost in contemplation, while the others stand and interact in a hushed, almost melancholic manner. This etching is a fine example of Saint-Aubin's signature style, a mix of Rococo elegance and subtle narrative, that was popular in 18th-century France.