Countess Trifaldi and the dueñas display their beards - Augustin de Saint-Aubin

An eighteenth-century etching by Augustin de Saint-Aubin illustrating a scene from Don Quixote, featuring the Countess Trifaldi and her bearded dueñas.

This etching by Augustin de Saint-Aubin depicts a scene from Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote. The narrative concerns the Countess Trifaldi, who appears before the knight to recount the plight of her dueñas, all of whom have been cursed with beards. Saint-Aubin, a master of the French Rococo print tradition, captures the absurdity of the encounter with precise, delicate line work. The composition balances the central figure of the Countess, who stands in formal attire, against a group of seated figures in period dress. The surrounding foliage is rendered with fine hatching, providing a textured backdrop that frames the interaction without overwhelming the figures.

Saint-Aubin was a prolific draughtsman and engraver, known for his ability to translate complex literary narratives into small-scale, highly detailed prints. His work often reflects the refined aesthetic of the late eighteenth-century French court, even when addressing the satirical themes found in Spanish literature. The print is marked with the number 16 at the top, indicating its origin as part of a larger series of illustrations intended for a luxury edition of the novel. The attention to costume, from the ruffs and hats to the armour of the accompanying men, demonstrates the artist's commitment to period accuracy as understood by his contemporaries. This piece offers a glimpse into the eighteenth-century fascination with Cervantes, a subject that provided ample opportunity for artists to explore both the dramatic and the comical aspects of the human condition. The print remains a fine example of the technical skill required for book illustration during this period, where the engraver's burin was used to create subtle tonal variations and clear, readable forms.