author
Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin
1721–1786
A designer for the court of Louis XV, he helped turn embroidery into a serious art and left behind one of the 18th century's best-known guides to the craft. His work also reached into drawing and engraving, revealing a lively eye for detail.
1 Audiobook
L'Art du brodeur
by Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin
About the author
Born in Paris in 1721, Charles Germain de Saint-Aubin became a French draftsman and embroidery designer who worked for King Louis XV. He is best remembered for L'Art du Brodeur (1770), a landmark book that set out techniques and ideas for embroidery at a very high level.
Beyond textile design, he was also known for drawings and engravings, showing the range of his artistic skill. He came from a family of artisans and artists, and his career grew out of that richly creative world.
Saint-Aubin died in Paris in 1786, but his name still appears wherever the history of embroidery is taken seriously. For listeners interested in decorative arts, craft, and life at the French court, he offers a fascinating window into how beauty was designed and made.