Allegorie op de terugkeer in Parijs van Lodewijk XVI na zijn kroning te Reims op 11 juni 1775 1775

Gabriel de Saint-Aubin created this drawing, celebrating Louis XVI’s return to Paris after his coronation, using pen and black ink. The composition teems with life, almost spilling out of its tight frame. Saint-Aubin masterfully uses hatching and varied line weights to create depth and movement. Observe how the dense, frenetic lines at the center, around the carriage, give way to lighter, sparser marks at the periphery, suggesting a receding crowd. The artist’s use of perspective is intriguing. It is not linear, but rather intuitive, emphasizing the event's symbolic importance over strict spatial accuracy. Figures are rendered with an almost caricatured quality, their gestures exaggerated, blurring the line between celebration and chaos. Saint-Aubin’s approach, therefore, challenges traditional notions of royal portraiture, hinting at underlying social tensions through formal means. Ultimately, this drawing transcends mere historical documentation, becoming a commentary on the spectacle of power and its reception. Saint-Aubin invites us to look beyond the surface, to question the narratives encoded within the visual.