Jacques Philippe Joseph de Saint Quentin

Jacques Philippe Joseph de Saint Quentin was an artist active during the latter half of the 18th century, with his documented period of activity spanning the years 1750 to 1784. His extant body of work, comprising both prints and drawings, establishes him primarily as a draftsman and influential theatrical illustrator.

The six works by Saint Quentin represented in collections, including those held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlight his ability to capture complex figurative arrangements and intense narrative moments. His most significant documented project was a series of five illustrations designed for Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’ pivotal 1784 comedy, The mad day, or the marriage of Figaro (La Folle journée, ou le mariage de Figaro).

These dramatic illustrations depict central scenes from the play, characterized by elaborate interior settings and dynamic interactions among characters, such as the prints A man leans toward a woman standing in a doorway at right and A man curled up in a chair looks toward another man who approaches him from the left in an interior setting. In addition to these complex illustrations, Saint Quentin’s repertoire included detailed figurative studies, exemplified by the drawing Head of a Young Woman in Profile to Left.

As historical artworks, the designs of Jacques Philippe Joseph de Saint Quentin prints are frequently available for study. Because these works are held in the public domain, they are often digitized, providing researchers access to downloadable artwork and enabling the reproduction of high-quality prints.