François Collignon

A cartouche: Etching by François Collignon based on a design by Stefano della Bella

François Collignon (born January 21, 1610 in Nancy , † January 18, 1687 in Rome ) was a French draftsman, etcher, engraver and publisher who worked primarily in Paris and Rome. In his work his commercial than his artistic talent came to the fore, which after his first beginnings in Paris later made him a successful publisher in Rome.

Fields of activity

An Allegory: Etching (1656) by François Collignon after a drawing by Pietro Testa

After François Collignon had completed his training in Nancy as a student of the draftsman and copper engraver Jacques Callot (1592-1635) around 1630 and had worked for Callot for some time, he went to Augsburg in 1631 . Here he worked for the painter and builder Johann Matthias Kager (1575–1634) and, among other things, reproduced his picture - Salomon receives the Queen of Sheba (a composition rich in figures). From 1634 to 1636 François Collignon stayed in Rome, where he made a friendship with the draftsman and etcher Stefano della Bella (1610–1664) that would last for life and that made fruitful collaboration possible. A work from this period has also survived: together with the painter Andrea Sacchi (1599–1661) he illustrated a festschrift ( Festa, fatta in Roma, alli 25. di Febraio MDCXXXIV ), which Cardinal Antonio Barberini (1607–1671) for the Had commissioned a visit from a Polish prince. - From 1636 François Collignon worked in Paris, where he was very productive over the next few years. Among other things, he has etched many drawings by Stefano della Bella and for the first time became active as a publisher with the publication of some sheets (by della Bella and probably others as well). To this end, he and della Bella etched and engraved designs by the royal military cartographer Sébastien de Beaulieu (1612–1674).

Around 1646, François Collignon's life underwent a major change: he left Paris and went to Rome, where he worked until the end of his life. He soon became a defining figure in the Roman publishing industry and mainly published works by other artists. For example - partly together with the publisher and art dealer Giovanni Domenico De Rossi (1619–1653) - a series of engravings by the Italian painter and etcher Pietro Testa (1611–1650) and copper engravings by the Dutch draftsman, engraver and painter Cornelis Bloemaert ( 1603–1686), which he had created after works by painters such as Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) and others.

After the death of François Collignon in January 1687, the Dutch draftsman, engraver and painter Arnold van Westerhout (1651–1725) acquired his entire business estate and was able to use it for himself.

literature

• David Klemm: Stefano della Bella (1610–1664): Drawings from the Kupferstichkabinett of the Hamburger Kunsthalle , Böhlau Verlag, Cologne / Weimar / Vienna 2009, ISBN 978-3-412-20262-0
• Wolfgang Reiniger: Beaulieu: The copper engravings on the campaigns of Ludwig XIV., Especially on those in Germany: Catalog , W. Reiniger, Bad Kreuznach 2000, ISBN 3 923714-06-8
• Jacques Thuillier: Claude Lorrain ei pittori lorenesi in Italia nel XVII. secolo , De Luca, Rome 1982

Web links

Commons : François Collignon  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Literature by and about François Collignon in the WorldCat bibliographic database
• Index entry for François Collignon in the database of the German Biography
• The British Museum works by François Collignon

Remarks

1. ↑ The date of birth is uncertain, but very likely. The French art historian Jacques Thuillier (1928–2011) is there in his book Claude Lorrain ei pittori lorenesi in Italia nel XVII. secolo , De Luca, Rome 1982, p. 340 as possible to: Naissance de François Collignon. L'article d'Albert Ohl des Marais (1937; p. 104, note 1) fait état d'un acte de baptême en date du 21 janvier 1610, paroise Saint-Sébastien, concenant un certain François, fils de Jean Collignon. .. .
2. ↑ Internet Archive Festa, fatta in Roma, alli 25. di Febraio MDCXXXIV