Benoît Audran the Elder
Encyclopedia
Benoît Audran the Elder, the second son of Germain Audran
, was born at Lyons
in 1661. He received his first instruction in the art of engraving
from his father; but had afterwards the advantage of studying under his uncle, the celebrated Gérard Audran
. Although he never equalled the admirable style of his uncle, he engraved many plates of historical subjects and portraits, which have justly established his reputation. His style, like that of Gérard, is bold and clear; his drawing of the figure is very correct; and there is a fine expression of character in his heads. He was received into the Academy
in 1709, and was appointed engraver to the king, with a pension. He died in 1721, in the village of Ouzouer, near Sens
. His portrait, after J. Vivien
, has been engraved by his nephew Benoit, the younger
. The following are his principal plates:
Several other prints by this artist are specified in the ' Dictionnaire des Artistes,' by Heineken, and in Meyer's ' Allgemeines Künstler-Lexikon' upwards of two hundred are enumerated.
Germain Audran
Germain Audran, who was born at Lyons in 1631, was instructed by his uncle Charles in the art of engraving in Paris. He died at Lyons in 1710. His merit was considerable, although very inferior to that of some others of his family. Germain had four sons, Claude III, Benoit I, Jean, and Louis...
, was born at Lyons
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in 1661. He received his first instruction in the art of engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
from his father; but had afterwards the advantage of studying under his uncle, the celebrated Gérard Audran
Gérard Audran
Gérard Audran , was a French engraver of the Audran family, the third son of Claude Audran....
. Although he never equalled the admirable style of his uncle, he engraved many plates of historical subjects and portraits, which have justly established his reputation. His style, like that of Gérard, is bold and clear; his drawing of the figure is very correct; and there is a fine expression of character in his heads. He was received into the Academy
Académie des beaux-arts
The Académie des Beaux-Arts is a French learned society. It is one of the five academies of the Institut de France.It was created in 1795 as the merger of the:* Académie de peinture et de sculpture...
in 1709, and was appointed engraver to the king, with a pension. He died in 1721, in the village of Ouzouer, near Sens
Sens
Sens is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.Sens is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is crossed by the Yonne and the Vanne, which empties into the Yonne here.-History:...
. His portrait, after J. Vivien
Joseph Vivien
Joseph Vivien was a French painter of Lyon.He left his native Lyon for Paris at the age of twenty and found employment in the large atelier of Charles Le Brun, the equivalent of an academy...
, has been engraved by his nephew Benoit, the younger
Benoît Audran the Younger
Benoït Audran, called the Younger, to distinguish him from his uncle, was born in Paris in 1698, and died there in 1772. He was the sonand pupil of Jean Audran, and engraved in the same manner as his father. He engraved prints after Paolo Veronese, Poussin, Natoire, Lancret, Watteau, and other...
. The following are his principal plates:
Portraits
- Charles le Goux de la Berchere, Archbishop of Narbonne; after L. de Boulogne.
- Jean Baptiste ColbertJean-Baptiste ColbertJean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
; after C. LefebvreClaude Lefebvre (artist)Claude Lefebvre was a French painter and engraver.-Early life:Lefebvre was born at Fontainebleau. He studied art under Eustache Le Sueur and Charles Le Brun at Fontainebleau.-Career:...
; oval. - Joseph Clement of Bavaria, Elector - Archbishop of CologneJoseph Clemens of BavariaJoseph Clemens of Bavaria was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty of Bavaria and Archbishop-Elector of Cologne from 1688 to 1723.-Biography:...
; after J. Vivien. - Henri de Beringhen; after NanteuilRobert NanteuilRobert Nanteuil was a French printmaker in engraving.He was born about 1623, or, as other authorities state, in 1630, the son of a merchant of Reims...
. 1710. - Samuel Frisching, General of the Swiss: after J. HuberJohann Rudolf HuberJohann Rudolf Huber was an eminent Swiss portrait artist. Among his famous subjects were Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach, Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and Albrecht von Haller .-Biography:...
. 1713. - J. F. A. Willading; after J. Huber. 1718.
- Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV; after DesjardinsMartin DesjardinsMartin Desjardins, born Martin van den Bogaert was a French sculptor and stuccoist of Dutch birth.He was born at Breda, the son of a milliner in a house that would later carry the name 'de Drye Bredasche Hoeden'...
; by B. and J. AudranJean AudranJean Audran, the brother of Benoit, and the third son of Germain Audran, was born at Lyons in 1667 ; having learned the rudiments of the art under his father, he was placed under the care of his uncle, the famous Gérard Audran, in Paris. Before he was twenty years of age he displayed uncommon...
.
Subjects after various masters
- The Baptism of Jesus Christ; after AlbaniFrancesco AlbaniFrancesco Albani or Albano was an Italian Baroque painter.-Early years in Bologna:Born 1578 in Bologna, his father was a silk merchant who intended to instruct his son in the same trade; but by age twelve, Albani became an apprentice under the competent mannerist painter Denis Calvaert, where he...
. - David with the Head of Goliath; after a picture in the LouvreLouvreThe Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
, formerly attributed to MichelangeloMichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
, but now ascribed to Daniele da VolterraDaniele da VolterraDaniele Ricciarelli , better known as Daniele da Volterra, was an Italian mannerist painter and sculptor.He is best remembered for his association, for better or worse, with the late Michelangelo. Several of Daniele's most important works were based on designs made for that purpose by Michelangelo...
; two plates, engraved in 1716 and 1717. - Moses defending the Daughters of Jethro; after Le BrunCharles Le BrunCharles Le Brun , a French painter and art theorist, became the all-powerful, peerless master of 17th-century French art.-Biography:-Early life and training:...
. - The Espousals of Moses and Zipporah; after the same.
- The Elevation of the Cross; after the same. 1706.
- The Descent from the Cross; after the same.
- An allegorical subject — Holland accepting Peace; after the same.
- Zephyrus and Flora; after Ant. CoypelAntoine CoypelAntoine Coypel was a history painter, the more famous son of the French painter Noël Coypel.Antoine studied under his father, with whom he spent four years at Rome. At the age of eighteen he was admitted into the Académie de peinture et de sculpture, of which he became professor and rector in...
. - The Pleasures of the Garden; two friezes ; after MignardPierre MignardPierre Mignard , called "Le Romain" to distinguish him from his brother Nicolas Mignard, was a French painter...
; engraved by Benoit and Jean Audran. - The Saviour with Martha and Mary; after Le SueurEustache Le SueurEustache Le Sueur or Lesueur , one of the founders of the French Academy of Painting, was born in Paris, where he passed his whole life....
. - St. Paul preaching at Ephesus; after the same.
- Alexander drinking the Cup which his Physician presents him; after the same.
- The Accouchement of Marie de Medicis; after Rubens.
- The Exchange of the Two Queens; after the same. [The two last form part of the Luxembourg GalleryMusée du LuxembourgMusée du Luxembourg is a museum in Paris, France. It occupies the east wing of the Palais du Luxembourg, whose matching west wing originally housed Ruben's Marie de' Medici cycle. Since 2000 it has been run by the French Ministry of Culture and the Senate and is devoted to temporary exhibitions...
.]
Several other prints by this artist are specified in the ' Dictionnaire des Artistes,' by Heineken, and in Meyer's ' Allgemeines Künstler-Lexikon' upwards of two hundred are enumerated.