Francois-Nicolas Martinet

French, 1731 - 1804

BiographyEngraver François-Nicolas Martinet was born in 1731 and trained as an engineer and a draftsman. Although initially he did not work full-time as an engraver, in 1756 he was appointed engraver in the Cabinet du Roi, illustrating architecture, landscapes, celebrations, and theatrical performances. He became best known for his bird illustrations, which often had a more life-like quality to them than other bird illustrators of the time, despite his reliance on stuffed specimens as his models. He often included rudimentary settings, sometimes more fully embellished with lightly engraved background scenes of towns or buildings. In addition to his 261 plates for Brisson’s study (1760), he also contributed more than 1,000 plates to Buffon’s important Histoire naturelle des oiseaux (1770–83), and in 1773 he capitalized on the popularity of his bird images by publishing his own book of ornithological illustrations. He also contributed 21 ornithological illustrations to Diderot’s Encyclopedia. His death date is unknown, but records suggest perhaps 1804.

Person TypeIndividual