Nicolas Huet the Younger (1770 Louvre – 26 December 1830

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

), aka Nicolas Huet II or as Nicolas Huet le Jeune, was a French natural history illustrator, active 1788–1827. Nicolas Huet was the eldest son and pupil of

Jean-Baptiste Huet Jean-Baptiste Marie Huet (Paris, 15 October 1745 – Paris, 27 January 1811) was a French painter, engraver and designer associated with pastoral and genre scenes of animals in the Rococo manner, influenced by François Boucher. Born into ...

, who was in turn the son of Nicolas Huet the Elder, all skilled painters and engravers of animal life, together with Nicolas Huet the Younger's siblings, François Huet (1772–1813) and Jean-Baptiste Huet II (born 1772). In 1792 he and his two brothers enlisted with the volunteers of

Seine-et-Oise Seine-et-Oise () was the former department of France encompassing the western, northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris.Battle of Jemappes The Battle of Jemappes (6 November 1792) took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium), near Mons during the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. One of the first major off ...

. He also took part in

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

’s scientific and artistic exploration of Egypt between 1798 and 1801, subsequently illustrating the government's report. Huet was a skilled watercolourist and engraver, who acquired a reputation as natural history draughtsman. In October 1804, after the death of Oudinot, he was designated painter to the ''Muséum d’Histore Naturelle'' and to the ménagerie of the

Empress Joséphine Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. ...

- a collection of animals, birds and plants, many depicted by Huet. He also illustrated works by the naturalists

Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (15 April 177219 June 1844) was a French naturalist who established the principle of "unity of composition". He was a colleague of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and expanded and defended Lamarck's evolutionary theories. ...

and

Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier ...

. Huet produced a series of 246 animal drawings on vellum for the library of the ''Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle'', and these were published in 1808 as 'Collection de mammifères du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle'. From 1823 until his death Huet was 'Professeur d’iconographie des animaux', and continued exhibiting drawings and watercolours of animals at various salons until shortly before his death. Huet was also commissioned to create elaborate drawings of animals, often on vellum, for notables such as

Frederick Augustus II of Saxony , image = Friedrich August II of Saxony.jpg , caption = Portrait by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein , image_size = 220px , reign = 6 June 1836 – 9 August 1854 , coronation = , predecessor = Anthony , ...

, and the military officer

André Masséna André Masséna, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli (born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817) was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.Donald D. Horward, ed., trans, annotated, The Fre ...

, Prince d’Essling and Duc de Rivoli. Lambert Frères published a number of his images, and these were engraved by his brother Jean Baptiste, who also engraved Nicolas’ depictions of mammals. He also illustrated 'l’Histoire naturelle des mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles', and 'Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d’oiseaux'. On the death of

Gerard van Spaendonck Gerard van Spaendonck (22 March 1746 – 11 May 1822) was a Dutch painter. Life Gerard was born in Tilburg, an older brother of Cornelis van Spaendonck (1756–1840), who was also an accomplished artist. In the 1760s he studied with decorative ...

in 1822, Nicolas and

Pierre-Joseph Redouté Pierre-Joseph Redouté (, 10 July 1759 – 19 June 1840), was a painter and botanist from Belgium, known for his watercolours of roses, lilies and other flowers at the Château de Malmaison, many of which were published as large, coloured s ...

took charge of the iconography course at the ''Muséum d’Histore Naturelle''. Nicolas died on 26 December 1830 leaving no children.

Gallery

References

External links

Gallery (CTG Publishing)(pages 27–33)

''Les Hüet : Jean Baptiste et ses trois fils'' - C. Gabillot (1892)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huet the Younger, Nicolas 1770 births 1830 deaths 19th-century French illustrators Natural history illustrators