François et Nicolas de Poilly d'Abbeville graveurs et marchands d'estampes parisiens du 17e siècle avec le catalogue de leurs oeuvres
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Abstract EN:
Francois and nicolas de poilly were parisians engravers in intaglio of the 17th century. They were born in abbeville, the sons of a goldsmith from a family that belonged to the gentry, but, later, became member of the merchant class. Like his compatriot claude mellan, francois (1623-1693) came to paris in 1638: his first master was pierre daret and, next, he worked for pierre mariette. Nicolas (1626-1696) was the first pupil of his brother. Francois went then to italy. He married marguerite weyen, daughter of herman, a copper-plate printer and printseller. Nicolas married genevieve de ribeaucourt, daughter of john who was in charge of timber control. The fortune of francois had accumulated an estate of 27500 pounds, made up of two houses and copper-plates which he edited. The estate of nicolas was 73588 pounds : engraving made them a considerable fortune. As with many engravers, they lived in the saint-jacques street. They had many pupils. Engraving gave birth to three professions : engraver, copper-plate printer, printseller. Theses were not controled (no corporation). The works were protected by royal privileges and the better artist-engravers distingued by a royal patent : engravers, printsellers worked freely and defended this conditions. Francois engraved 337 plates, nicolas 133. They imited paintings. With different styles, reproductive engraving was an original art in itself, related to drawing, siding with the different subjects : religious paintings created devotional prints and beautiful engraved copies, historical the illustrations of thesis and almanacs, and painted portraits engraved portraits. The de poilly brothers engraved from raphael, reni, pierre and nicolas mignard, lebrun, stella, champaigne. Engravings were used to illustrate books. Francois and nicolas were also editors of prints : the older possessed 2489 plates, nicolas 733. A vast number of devotional, ornament, landscape engravings were produced.
Abstract FR:
Francois et nicolas de poilly furent deux graveurs en taille-douce, burinistes, parisiens du 17e siecle. L'aine, francois, naquit a abbeville en 1623, d'un pere orfevre appartenant a une famille autrefois noble qui retourna a la bourgeoisie marchande. Il vint a paris en 1638 pour etre graveur comme son compatriote claude mellan, fut trois ans l'eleve de pierre daret, travailla pour pierre mariette. Nicolas, ne en 1626, fut le premier eleve de son frere. Francois fit le voyage d'italie, epousa marguerite weyen, fille d'herman, imprimeur en tailledouce et marchand d'estampes. Nicolas s'allia a genevieve de ribeaucourt, fille de jean, jure mouleur-de-bois. La fortune de l'aine, mort le 31 mars 1693, atteignait 27500 livres, constituee de deux maisons en indivis et des cuivres qu'il editait. Celle de nicolas mort le 1er mai 1696, 75388 livres : la gravure leur procura des revenus importants. Comme bien des graveurs, les poilly habiterent rue saint-jacques. Ils formerent beaucoup d'eleves. Les estampes firent naitre trois professions : graveur, imprimeur en taille-douce, marchand d'estampes. Elles n'etaient pas reglementees (nulle corporation); les oeuvres etaient protegees par des privileges, les meilleurs talents distingues d'un brevet royal; graveurs, marchands d'estampes travaillerent librement, defendant cet etat. Francois grava 337 estampes, nicolas 133. Elles imiterent des oeuvres peintes. Pourtant, avec des facons de proceder differentes, la gravure d'imitation fut un art original, lie au dessin, recherchant l'ideal de portraiture, refletant la hierarchie de la peinture : les tableaux religieux engendrerent images de devotion et imitations de tableaux, la peinture d'histoire theses et almanachs, les portraits peints les portraits graves. Les poilly graverent principalement d'apres raphael, le guide, pierre et nicolas mignard, lebrun, stella, champaigne. Enfin les estampes illustrerent les livres. Les poilly furent d'importants editeurs d'estampes. L'aine possedait 2489 planches, nicolas 733, lesquelles produisirent d'innombrables images de devotion, d'ornement, de paysage vendues dans le public.