Jean Boulanger (engraver)

Portrait of Nostradamus.

Jean Boulanger, a French line-engraver, cousin to the painter of the same name, was born at Amiens in 1607. He seems to have attached himself at first to an imitation of the style of François de Poilly, but he afterwards took up a mode of engraving which had before been practised by his contemporary, Jean Morin, but which he greatly improved, of finishing the flesh and naked parts of his figures with dots, instead of strokes, or with a mixture of both, which gave a very soft and mellow effect; but as he finished the draperies and backgrounds with rather a harsh use of the graver, there was a want of union in the effect of his plates. Notwithstanding this defect, his prints have considerable merit, and are justly held in estimation. He died in Paris about 1680. The following are some of his principal plates:

Portraits

• Maria Tberesa of Austria, Queen of France; after Frère Luc.
• Pope Urban VIII; J. Boulanger inv. et fec.
• Charles II, King of England.
• Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden.
• Leopold, King of the Romans.
• Henry of Castile, Abbot of St. Martin.
• J. Regnault de Segrais, of the French Academy.
• J. Jacques Olier, Cure of St. Sepulcre.
• Paul Beurier, Canon of St. Genevieve; after Jacq Le Fèvre.
• Daniel de Cosnac, Archbishop of Aix; after Claude Le Febvre.
• V. Louis de Seckendorf; after C. Scheffer.
• Michael Nostradamus, Physician. (pictured)
• St. Vincent de Paul.
• Mademoiselle Le Gras, Foundress of the Filles de la Charite.
• Francis Isidor de Hayrien.
• François de Clermont, Bishop of Noyon.

Subjects from his own designs

• Two Busts of our Saviour and the Virgin Mary.
• Bust of the Virgin, surrounded by a border of Laurel; oval.
• The Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus; half length.
• The Virgin Mary and Infant, with St. John presenting a Cross.

Subjects after different masters

• The Virgin and Infant Christ holding some Pinks, called the Virgin of the Pinks; after Raphael.
• A Bust of the Virgin; inscribed Mater amabilis; after the same.
• The Holy Family, with St. Joseph giving the Infant some Cherries; after Carracci.
• The Virgin of Passau; after Solario.
• The Virgin Mary, with the Infant sleeping in her Arms; after Guido.
• The Virgin and Infant Jesus, with St. John kissing his Foot; after the same.
• The Holy Family; after Noel Coypel.
• The Holy Family; half-length figures; after Nic. Loir.
• The Infant Christ; inscribed Salvator Mundi, &c.; after the same. 1651.
• Christ bearing His Cross; after Nic. Mignard.
• The Virgin and Infaut, with St. John kissing His Foot; after P. Mignard.
• The Descent from the Cross; after S. Bourdon.
• The Entombment of Christ; after the same.
• The Crucifixion; after Ch. le Brun.
• St. Francis de Paula; after S. Vouet.
• The Dead Christ supported by Joseph of Arimathea.
• The Pompous Cavalcade on the occasion of Louis XIV coming of age.

References

This article incorporates text from the article "BOULANGER, Jean" in Bryan's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers by Michael Bryan, edited by Robert Edmund Graves and Sir Walter Armstrong, an 1886–1889 publication now in the public domain.