Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin
1748
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Le Bateleur (The Street Performer) is a 1748 ink by Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a tiny man in a chair, holding a telescope, while two oversized butterflies hover around him. One butterfly looks like a person in a coat, and the other is a chair. Below them, a wobbly cart with a sign that says *Le Bateleur* holds a birdcage and other odd objects. The whole scene is framed by swirling vines and flowers. The word *Bateleur* means "street performer"—this guy might be a trickster or a showman. The butterflies aren’t just decoration; they’re part of the joke, turning everyday things into something silly. Want to see more like this? Check out etching to learn how artists carved these sharp lines.
Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin (1748–1760) was an artist.
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