Personalities Pitau, Nicolas

Engraver of flemish origin. Son of the silk seller from London Tobias Pitau, brother of the engraver Jacob Pitau (1623–?). From 1644, he probably visited the workshop of his godfather, the Flemish engraver Nicholas Lauers, in Antwerp. Around 1656 he moved to Paris, where he worked in the workshop of R. Nanteuil, who had a great influence on his work. He engraved mainly from the originals of Philippe de Champaigne, Claude Lefebvre and other artists. He was friends with Gerard Edelink, whom he invited to Paris in 1666, and was its first publisher. His son, Nicolas Pitau Junior, was also an engraver.