Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu


Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu, called "Tardieu fils" or "Tardieu the younger", was a French engraver.

Biography

Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu was born on 2 September 1716 in Paris.
He was the son of Marie-Anne Horthemels and Nicolas-Henri Tardieu, both engravers.
He was taught by his father, who was recognized as one of the most eminent engravers France has produced.
He was received at the Académie française on 24 October 1749 for his engraved portraits of Bon Boullogne and Le Lorrain.
He became graveur ordinaire du roi and is also described as graveur ordinaire of the Elector of Cologne.
Tardieu married in turn two print makers, Jeanne-Louise-Françoise Duvivier and Élisabeth-Claire Tournay.
Jeanne-Louise is on record as having made several engravings.
Her father, Jean Duvivier, and her brother, Pierre-Simon-Benjamin Duvivier, were both medal engravers, members of the Academy and graveurs du roi. Jeanne-Louise died on 6 April 1762.
Tardieu's second wife, Élisabeth Claire was also an engraver.
Her works included The Concert after Jean François de Troy, La Marchande de moutarde after Charles François Hutin, La Dame de Charité, Le Prêtre du Catéchisme and La Vieille Coquette after Pierre Louis Dumesnil, and Le Joli Dormir after Étienne Jeaurat. The tendency for wives to become prominent artists beside their husbands was unusual at the time but was common in the Tardieu family.
Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu died in Paris on 9 July 1791.
His son Jean-Charles Tardieu became a well-known painter.

Œuvres

Tardieu made less use of the point graver than his father, and more use of the Burin, or cold chisel.
As a result, his prints are more precise. It has been said, however, that they are "inferior in spirit and picturesqueness of effect."
He made some of the plates for the Gallery of Versailles, after paintings by Charles Le Brun.
His greatest ability may have been in portraits, such as those of his father and of Alexis Simon Belle, Pierre Jeannin and Mademoiselle du Bocage. His most notable portrait was that of the queen Marie Leszczyńska, after Jean-Marc Nattier.
Tardieu's portraits include:
Other well-known works are:
Other works are:Le Paralytique guéri près de la piscine, after the painting by Jean Restout, Arras, Musée des beaux-arts, 1743 La Sainte Famille, after ChristopheConstantin qui se fait apporter l’étendard où était travaillé le signe qu’il avait vu dans le cielL’Éloquence, allégorie, after de La Joue, 1745Une vignette des armes du roi, avec des anges pour supports, after the drawing by M. BoucherPortrait du président Jeannin, ministre d’État sous Henri IVPortrait du maréchal Dubourg, after M. de LeynPortrait de M. Belle, peintre du roi, after the painting done by himselfPortrait de M. Tardieu, le père, graveur du roi, after Charles-André van LooVignette représentant le portrait du roi, after a sketch by M. Duvivier, 1746Portail de l’église de Saint-Sulpice Portrait de feu Mgr le Dauphin duc de Bourgogne, after RigaudPortrait de feu M. l’abbé de Rothelin, after Noël-Nicolas CoypelPortrait de l’archevêque électeur de Cologne, 1748Portrait of M. le duc de Sully, author of the Mémoires sur l’histoire d’Henri IVPortrait de M. de Boccage, after the painting by Marianne LoirDocteur alchimiste, after David Teniers the YoungerDeux tableaux représentant différents costumes des peuples orientauxDeux tableaux représentant des animaux, after the drawings by Charles-Nicolas CochinPortrait de feu M. de Boullongne, after Gilles Allou, 1750Portrait de M. Le Lorrain, after Claude-Adrien NonnotteLa Colère d’AchilleAdieu d’Hector et d’Andromaque, sujets tirés de l’Iliade d’Homère), after the paintings by Coypel Les Misères de la guerreLe Déjeuner flamand, after David Teniers the Younger.L’Apparition de Notre-Seigneur d la Sainte Vierge, estampe gravée, after le Guide, 1753Portrait de la reine, after the painting by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1755La Magdeleine pénitente, after Paolo Pagani,, 1757Portrait de feu Mme Henriette de France, after Nattier, 1759Portrait de M. Lullin, ministre de GenèvePortrait de Mgr l’archevêque de Bordeaux, after Restout, 1765Portrait de M. le prince de Gallitzin, ministre plénipotentiaire en France de la Cour de Russie, after François-Hubert DrouaisPortrait de M. d’Etemare, after Belle, 1775Portrait de Mlle de La FontPortrait de M. l’abbé Gourdin, 1777Portrait de Dimitri Alexeyevich Gallitzin, after Drouais, 1762