BONNET LOUIS-MARIN 1736-1793.

French engraver and publisher. He came from a family of artisans and owned his training in engraving to his brother-in-law, the engraver Louis Legrand (1723-1808). Through Louis Legrand, Bonnet became the pupil of Jean-Charles François in 1756, a year before the latter discovered the " crayon manner " technique of engraving, designed to reproduce the effect of a coloured chalk drawing. Around the end of 1757 Bonnet used the new technique to engrave a Cupid (Hérold N°2A) after François Eisen. Gilles Demarteau, a rival of Jean-Charles François, enticed Bonnet to join his workshop and learnt the technique from him.

Bonnet engraved some 15 plates for Demarteau, and in 1760 he set up his own shop. During this period he strove to perfect the crayon manner by producing prints using several different plates, each inked with a different colour. Initially, he tried to produce drawing executed in black and white chalk on blue or buff paper; to do this he had to make a white ink that would not yellow with age. He was the first to use points of reference to print several plates one on top of the other. He also experimented with aquatint-like techniques designed to reproduce wash drawing.

It was in his workshop that Jean-François Janinet produced his first two coloured prints: the Procurator and the Tailor in the wash manner. He also invented a method of printing frames in gold ink aroud his works. He exploited the contempory fashion for things English by publishing stipple engravings with English titles and explanations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Jacques Hérold: "Louis Marin Bonnet, catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé" Paris 1935.

Jacques Hérold: "Jean-Charles François, catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé" Paris 1931.

Tête de joseph after Deshay:

 SOLD

Hérold N°25.

Crayon manner engraving 1769.

Printed on blue paper monted by 3 points on 18th century white paper.

Two inks black and white.

First state on two.

51.5 cm * 3907 cm.

Five points of reference.

Left "Deshayes del".

Center "TESTE DE JOSEPH".

Right "N° 25 Bonnet Sculp. 1769".

Below: "Tiré du Cabinet de M.S. D'

A Paris, chés Bonnet rue Galande place Maubert la porte cochere entre un chandellier et un layetier vis-à-vis la rue du Fouard."

Tête des trois Graces after Carle Vanloo.

 SOLD

Hérol N°312.

Crayon manner engraving.

Two inks: black and red.

Two points of reference.

31 cm * 24.5 cm.

" ETUDE DES TROIS GRACE DE CARLE VANLOO

A Paris chez Bonnet, rue St Jacques, au coin de celle de la Parcheminerie, Bonnet direxit."

Upper rigth N°312.