François-Julien Barier

François-Julien Barier , born in 1680 and dead the May 12th 1746, is a French engraver.

Biography

He is resulting from a family of Orfèvre S Laval-native. Pierre-Jean Mariette, which knew it personally, affirms that it was born in Paris, contrary to the other authors, who give it all like born with Laval. His/her parents are in Laval in 1677 and 1680, and the Abbé Angot announces that it is not natural to suppose a temporary establishment in Paris in such a short interval. The January 30th 1698, it attends in Laval, the marriage of his/her Francoise sister with Olivier Davazé, commercial apothecary and sign “François Barier, brother of the wife”.

It is only in 1727 that one finds François-Julien Barier, commercial goldsmith installed in Paris, street of the Old woman-Hoaillerie, with the 'arillet. It receives at his place on this date Mr. Hardy de Lévaré which came to plead the cause of its party against Mr. Lelong, civil judge and mayor of Laval.

If the trade of goldsmithery made the fortune of the Resident of Laval, engraving on fine stones made its reputation. It acquires soon in this kind a great reputation.

Voltaire chooses it to engrave its portrait on the kitten of a ring which he addressed to an unknown lady with these worms:

Barier engraved these features intended for your eyes;
With some pleasure condescend to recognize them.
Yours, in my heart, were engraved well better
But it was by a larger Master .

Louis XV appointed the artist his engraver in title and a housing in the galleries of the Louvre gave him. It is there that he dies in 1746.

Pierre-Jean Mariette, in her Traité fine stones makes of Barier the greatest praise: “He became engraver, says he, more by taste that by study; he learned how from itself to engrave in hollow like in relief, and made, in one and the other kind, of the works which ensured its reputation. One sees of him heads, figures, animals, compositions worked with the greatest care. It also engraved according to nature some portraits, such those of fire the marquis de Rangoni, envoy of Modena at the court of France, and Mr. de Fontenelle, which were extremely tasted. ”

Turq, in its note on Jacques Guay also rents Barier “which was made a reputation by infinitely smalls masterpieces. ” Andre Rene Paige and Renouard, which probably copies its precursor, say that its engraved stones decorated the cabinet of Louis XV and that several sovereigns of Europe. The Angot abbot adds that one unfortunately knows of it none whose attribution is certain.

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