Personalities Tardieu, Nicolas-Henri

Engraver and etcher. He was born in the family of a boilermaker Nikolas Tardieu. Studied with Gérard Audran, Pierre Lepautre and Benoît Audran. In 1720, he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and was awarded the title of engraver to the king (Louis XV) for the engraved portrait of the Duke d'Antin after the original by Hyacinthe Rigaud. In engraving, he combined work with a cutter and a dry needle. The most famous and outstanding engraver of France, the father of a whole dynasty of engravers and artists, including: son of Jacques-Nicolas, grandson Jean-Charles, nephew Pierre-François Tardieu and others. His second wife, Marie-Anne-Hyacinthe Horthemels, was also an engraver. Among his students: engravers Bernard Baron, Laurent Cars, Jacques-Philippe Lebas.