Gilles-Louis Chrétien (5 February 1754 – 4 March 1811) was a French cellist and engraver. Chrétien was born at Versailles. In 1787 he invented a machine called a "

physionotrace A physiognotrace is an instrument, designed to trace a person's physiognomy to make semi-automated portrait aquatints. Invented in France in 1783–1784, it was popular for some decades. The sitter climbed into a wooden frame (1.75m high x 0.65m ...

", with which he took portraits in profile from life. He worked initially with Edmé Quenedey, but then went into partnership with the miniaturist Jean-Baptiste Fouquet, until the latter's death in or about 1799. Fouquet produced the ''grand trait'' drawing, sometimes highlighted or coloured in pastel, which Chrétien then engraved in

aquatint Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone. It has also been used h ...

. Many of these portraits are of great interest on account of the celebrity of the persons represented, for example "L'Incorruptible"

Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who became one of the best-known, influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Esta ...

Mirabeau Mirabeau may refer to: People and characters * Mirabeau B. Lamar (1798–1859), second President of the Republic of Texas French nobility * Victor de Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau (1715–1789), French physiocrat * Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, com ...

, and

Marat Marat may refer to: People *Marat (given name) *Marat (surname) **Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793), French political theorist, physician and scientist Arts, entertainment, and media *''Marat/Sade'', a 1963 play by Peter Weiss * ''Marat/Sade'' (fil ...

, who were among the hundreds which he produced. Also, Dutch patriots, such as

Johan Valckenaer Johan Valckenaer (Franeker, 21 January 1759 - Bennebroek, 1821) was a Dutch professor who specialized in Roman law. He was a passionate and combative patriot who promoted the right to bear weapons. In 1787 he went in exile in France and in 1793 h ...

, Samuel Iperusz Wiselius and

Quint Ondaatje Pieter Philips Jurriaan Quint Ondaatje (Colombo, 1758 – Amsterdam, 18 April 1818) was a Dutch patriot and politician. He is called the champion of Dutch democracy. Life Ondaatje was born at Colombo on Ceylon, as the son of a minister. He h ...

, who fled to France or visited Paris, ordered sets of physionotraces. Chrétien died in Paris in 1811.

References

* 1754 births 1811 deaths 18th-century engravers 19th-century engravers Artists from Versailles French engravers French classical cellists {{France-engraver-stub