Nicolas Robert
Encyclopedia
Nicolas Robert was a French miniaturist
and engraver. He was born in Langres
on 18 April 1614 and died in Paris on 25 March 1685.
In 1664 he was appointed as "peintre ordinaire de Sa Majesté pur la miniature" (Painter of Miniatures) to Louis XIV
.
Other works include:
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
and engraver. He was born in Langres
Langres
Langres is a commune in north-eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne region.-History:As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then Lingones, and now Langres.The town is built on a limestone...
on 18 April 1614 and died in Paris on 25 March 1685.
In 1664 he was appointed as "peintre ordinaire de Sa Majesté pur la miniature" (Painter of Miniatures) to Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
.
Works
Blunt highlights Robert's main works as follows:- Illustrations within the book - Guirlande de JulieGuirlande de JulieThe Guirlande de Julie is a unique French manuscript of sixty-two madrigaux.The salon of Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet , wife of Charles d'Angennes, marquis de Rambouillet , was the first and most brilliant Parisian literary salon of the first half of the 17th century, at its...
- which was produced by Nicholas Jarry as a gift for Julie Lucine d'Angennes from her future husband the Duke of MontausierCharles de Sainte-Maure, duc de MontausierCharles de Sainte-Maure, duc de Montausier was a French soldier and the governor of the dauphin, Louis le Grand Dauphin, the eldest son and heir of Louis XIV, King of France....
. It was this work that made Robert famous and drew the attention of Gaston, Duke of OrléansGaston, Duke of OrléansGaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
. - Paintings of flowers on vellum for Gaston and latterly for Louis XIV that form the nucleus of the Recueil des vélins currently held in the Muséum national d'histoire naturelleMuséum national d'histoire naturelleThe Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
within the Jardin des PlantesJardin des PlantesThe Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France. It is one of seven departments of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle. It is situated in the 5ème arrondissement, Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine and covers 28 hectares .- Garden plan :The grounds of the Jardin des...
. - Contributions to the Recueil des Plantes - a collection of engravings of flowers. Prints from these were published in the two-volume work - Estampes de Plantes and in Mémoires pour servir á l'Histoire des Plantes
Other works include:
- Fiori Diversi - a small book of etchings of flowers published in Rome on 1640.
- Diverses Fleurs c 1660
- Sketchbooks A & B, in the Austrian National Library, detailed in H.Walter Lack's Garden of Eden (Taschen: 2008)
- Livre des Tulipes, in the Austrian National Library, detailed in H.Walter Lack's Garden of Eden (Taschen: 2008)
Colleagues
Robert worked with the following people:- Robert MorisonRobert MorisonRobert Morison was a Scottish botanist and taxonomist. A forerunner of John Ray, he elucidated and developed the first systematic classification of plants.-Life:...
a Scottish botanist by whom it is believed that Robert was first prompted to take an interest in scientific botanic illustration. - Denis DodartDenis DodartDenis Dodart was a French physician, naturalist and botanist. Trained at the University of Paris, he gained his doctorate of medicine in 1660 and was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1673. In botany he is notable for his early studies of plant respiration and growth...
- Abraham BosseAbraham BosseAbraham Bosse was a French artist, mainly as a printmaker in etching, but also in watercolour.-Life:...
- Louis de Chatillon