Page:Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, volume 1.djvu/282

 the dotted style of a 'Young Bacchante,' from a drawing by Grevedon, met with a success which far surpassed the hopes of the young artist. He next produced a number of small subjects of similar character, which were very well received, and at the Salon of 1799 he exliibited his engraving of ' Venus disarming Cupid,' after Robert Lefevre, which gained a prize of 2000 francs. In this year he entered the studio of Alexandre Tardieu. The success of his engraving in line of ' Hope support- ing Man to the Tomb,' after a sketch by Caratfa exhibited at the Salon of 1801, procured him a commission to engrave for the Musee the ' Belle Jardiniere ' of Raphael. From this time he rose rapidly to the first rank in his adopted art, and in 1806 gained the large gold medal for his engraving of the celebrated antique cameo of ' Ptolemy II. Philadelphus and Arsinoe,' belonging to the Empress Josephine, which is now in the Hermitage Palace at St. Petersburg. His next important work was the full-length of Napoleon in his coro- nation robes, after Gerard. This was exhibited at the Salon of 1810, and for it Desnoyers received £2000, together with the return of the plate after 600 impressions had been taken off. He engraved also in 1810 a small portrait of the Empress Marie Louise, to which a curious history is attached. The Austrian princess had not set foot on French soil when her portrait was being sold in Paris by thou- sands. The likenesses differed, hut all were fright- fully ugly. Napoleon in a rage sent in the middle of the night for Baron Denon, and commanded him to go instantly to Desnoyers and desire him to engrave the portrait of the future empress. " Round head, fair hair, high forehead," were the brief instruc- tions sent to the artist, who worked day and night until, at the end of four days, a proof was ready for approval. The emperor thought it superb, and had already ordered its immediate publication, when he received a faithful miniature of the archduchess, which rendered an alteration of the plate impera- tive, for the face of the new empress, instead of being round, was a very elongated oval. Twenty impressions had been taken when Desnoyers again set to work, and on the morrow the authentic por- trait of Marie Louise was in circulation throughout Paris. The empire fell, but the talented engraver continued to enjoy the favour of the court. A member of the institute in 1816, he was engraver to the king in 1825, and a Baron in 1828, receiving soon after the cross of an ofiScer of the Legion of Honour. He engraved many of the masterpieces of the Louvre, but after 1848 he did but little, for age had weakened his sight, and he died in Paris on the 16th of February, 1857. He appears to ad- vantage in his transcripts of the works of ancient masters, especially Raphael, whose characteristics he renders with the greatest truth and skill. His masterpieces are the 'Belle Jardiniere' of Raphael, and the 'Vierge aux Rochers' of Leonardo da Vinci. But, although marked by exceptional talent, his engravings in line lack the freedom and breadth which distinguish those which he executed in the dotted style. The landscape backgrounds of his plates were for the most part engraved by Friedrich Giessler of Nuremberg.

Among Desnoyers' works the first place must be assigned to his engravings after the Madonnas of Raphael. These are as follow :

La Belle Jardiniere, 1804. La Yierge au Donataire, 1814. La Vierge au Linge, 1814. La Madonna delta Sedia, 1814. La Madonna del Pesce, 1822. 1,3 Madonna della Casa d'Alba, 1827. La Vierge au Berceau, 1831. La Belle Jardiniere de Floruuce, 1841. La Madonna di San Sisto, 1846. Desnoyers' other works include :

The Visitation ; after Raphael, 1842. St. Catharine of Alexandria ; after the same, 1824. The Transfigura- tion ; after the same, 1840. La Vierge aux Rochers ; after Leonardo da Vinci, 1812. The Holy Family ; after the same. The Magdalen; after Correc/gio. Eliezer and Kebekah; after Foussin, 1819. Moses " rescued from the Waters ; after the same. (The landscape engraved by Filhol and Niquet.^ Venus disarming Cupid; after Robert Lefevre; m dotted manner, 1799. The Muses and the Pierides; after Ferino del J'aga, 1831. Cupid and Psyche; Cupid bending his bow; after drawings by Ingres from antique sculpture ; for the 'Mus& Franijais,' 180(3. Ptolemy II. Philadelphus and Arsinoe ; after a drawinq by Inqres from an antique cameo. Belisarius ; after Gerard, 1806. Francis I. and his sister, Margaret of Navarre ; after Richard, 1817. Hope supporting Man to the Tomb ; after Caraffa, 1801. Les Penibks Adieux ; after Hilaire Ledru ; in dotted manne, 1802. Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul ; aft-, r Robert Lefevre, 1802. Napoleon I., Emperor of the French; "full-length; after Gerard, 1808. Marie Louise, Empress of the French, 1810. Napoleon, King of Rome ; after Gerard. Baron Alexander von Humboldt ; an etching ; after a sketch by Gerar,!, 1806. Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States of America; in dotted manner, 1801. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Peri gord, Prince of Eenevento; full-length ; after Gerard, 1814. E. E. G.

BODCHET, Louis Andee Gabriel, a French historical painter, scholar of David, painted sub- jects from sacred and profane history, poetry, and portraits. He obtained the first grand prize in 1797, and continued to exhibit until 1819. Gabet does not mention the date of his birth or death.

BOUCHET, Louis F. du. See Du Bouchet.

BODCHOT, FKANgois, a painter and engraver, was bom in Paris in 1800. He studied engraving under Richomrae, and then became a pupil of Reg- nault, and subsequently of Lethiere, and obtained the ' grand prix de Rome ' in 1823. He exhibited at the Salon from 1824 till his death, which occurred in Paris in 1842. A 'Drunken Silenus' by him is in the Lille Gallery, and the 'Burial of General Marceau ' in the Mairie at Chartres. He was also celebrated for his portraits.

BOUCK, or BOUCLE, — van. See Boekel.

BOUCQUET, Victor, a Flemish painter, was born at Fumes in 1619. He was the son of Marcus BoucQUET, a paintet- little known. Descamps sup- poses he must have visited Italy, as his works exhibit a manner that partakes little of the taste of his country. He painted historical subjects, and was also esteemed as a portrait painter. His works are distributed in the different churches of the towns in Flanders. They are well composed, and, like those of most of the artists of his country, are well coloured. In the great church of Nieuport are two altar-pieces by tliis master, one of which, representing ' The Death of St. Francis,' is par- ticularly admired ; and in the town-house there is a large picture by him, considered as his principal work, representing ' The Judgment of Cambyses.' The principal altar-piece in the church at Ostend is by Boucquet: it represents the Taking dovn from the Cross. He died at Fumes in 1677.

BODD, R., a Dutch engraver, flourished about the year 1590. He was principally employed in engraving portraits for the booksellers: among others is a portrait of Hendrik Goltzius, the painter and