Charles Audran (1594–1674) was a French engraver.

Life

Charles Audran was the first of the Audran family who became eminent in the art of

engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an in ...

. He was born in Paris in 1594. In his boyhood he showed a great disposition for the art. He received some instruction in drawing, and when still young went to Rome to complete his studies. There he produced some plates that were admired. He adopted that species of engraving that is entirely performed with the graver, and seems to have modeled his style on that of Cornelis Bloemaert. On his return to France he lived for some time in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

s, but finally settled in Paris, where he died in 1674, aged 80. He marked his prints, which are very numerous, in the early part of his life with a "C-", until his brother Claude, who also engraved a few plates, marked them with the same letter; he then changed it for K., as the initial of Karl. The following are his principal prints :

Portraits

*'' Henri of Condé, with the Four Cardinal Virtues''; K. Audran, sc.; oval. *''Andre Laurent, physician to Henry IV''; oval. *''

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''; oval, with ornaments; after Chauveau. *An allegorical subject, of two Portraits, with a Genius painting a third Portrait; inscribed on the pallet, unus ex duobus; signed C. Audran, fecit.

Subjects after different masters

*The title for the ''Gallery of the Great Women'', representing Anne of Austria and nineteen other eminent women, with a subject from their life in the background; after Pietro da Cortona. *''The Annunciation''; inscribed Spiritus Sanctus, fe.; after

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, incorrectly attributed on the plate to Annibale; very fine; it is the picture in the Cathedral at Bologna. *''The Baptism of Christ''; small oval; after Ann. Carracci; unsigned. *''St. Francis de Paula''; after

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; marked Carl. Audran, so. *''The Stoning of Stephen''; after Palma 'the younger'. *''The Conception of the Virgin Mary''; after Stella. *''The Nativity''; after the same. *''The Holy Family, with St. Catharine and Angels''; after the same; fine. *''The Virgin and Infant Jesus, St. John presenting an Apple, and St. Catharine kneeling''; after

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...

. *''The Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus treading on the Serpent''; after G. L. Valesio. *''A Thesis, representing Religion as the true Knowledge''; inscribed Non judiciamus, etc.; after C. Vignon. *''St. Francis de Paula in ecstasy before the Sacrament''; after S. Vouet. *Frontispiece for a Book, ''Fame holding the Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin''; after the same. *''The Assumption of the Virgin''; after

Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a sho ...

. Meyer's ' Künstler-Lexikon' lists 223 of his works.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Audran, Charles 1594 births 1674 deaths 17th-century French engravers Engravers from Paris