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 ...

. 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, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre fer ...

, Mirabeau, and Marat, who were among the hundreds which he produced. Also, Dutch

patriots A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...

, such as

Johan Valckenaer Johan Valckenaer (Franeker, 21 January 1759 – Bennebroek, 25 January 1821) was a Dutch professor who specialized in Roman law. He was a passionate and combative Patriots (Dutch Republic), patriot who promoted the right to bear weapons. In 1787 ...

, Samuel Iperusz Wiselius and

Quint Ondaatje Pieter Philip Jurriaan Quint Ondaatje (born in Colombo, 18 June 1758 – died in Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia, 30 April 1818) was an illustrious Dutch Patriots (Dutch Republic), patriot and influential revolutionary politician at the e ...

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

References

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