Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin
1748
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Le Damier (The Checkerboard) is a 1748 ink by Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a strange, dreamlike scene. Two giant butterflies sit on a checkerboard table, their wings patterned like maps. Behind them, a tiny person plays a harpsichord inside a building with a curved roof. Below, a curled-up fish and a bird with a flower in its beak float near a wavy line that looks like water. The butterflies’ wings are filled with tiny drawings of buildings and trees, as if they’re carrying whole landscapes. The scene mixes everyday objects—like the table and music—with impossible creatures, creating a playful, mixed-up world. If you like this odd mix of nature and art, look up etching to see how artists like Saint-Aubin made detailed prints like this.
Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin (1748–1760) was an artist.
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