Lot 173: An amorous couple in an interior

Etienne Aubry (Versailles 1745-1781 Paris)
An amorous couple in an interior
oil on panel
12 5/8 x 10¾ in. (32.1 x 27.3 cm.)

Etienne Aubry first studied with Silvestre in his hometown of Versailles, and later with Vien. His first successes were in the field of portraiture, in which genre he was agréé at the Académie Royale in 1771. He was greatly admired for his portraits of Vassé and Hallé and in 1775 was elected into the Academy. However, following the influence of such artists as Jean-Baptiste Greuze and Jean-Simeon Chardin, Aubry became entirely absorbed in genre painting.