Sketchbook page c. 1776

Editor: This is a quick sketch from a sketchbook page by Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin. It's housed at the Harvard Art Museums and depicts a man in what looks like military attire. What jumps out at you when you see this drawing? Curator: I see a reflection of 18th-century social structures. The military attire broadcasts power and status, and Saint-Aubin's choice to sketch it implies the prevalence of the military within French society at the time. Who had access to these positions, and what did that signify? Editor: So, beyond just being a sketch of a person, it's reflecting broader social dynamics? Curator: Precisely. Saint-Aubin's sketch invites us to consider the political and social weight carried by such imagery. It prompts consideration about the public perception, military might and authority.