Nicolas Robert

Not to be confused with balloonistNicolas-Louis Robertor inventorLouis-Nicolas Robert.

Nicolas Robert
Born	18 April 1614 Langres
Died	25 March 1685(1685-03-26)(aged 70) Paris
Nationality	French
Occupation(s)	Miniaturist, engraver
Known for	Painter of Miniatures toLouis XIV

Nicolas Robert(18 April 1614 – 25 March 1685) was a Frenchminiaturistandengraver.He was born inLangresand died in Paris.

In 1664 he was appointed as "peintre ordinaire de Sa Majesté pur la miniature" (Painter of Miniatures) toLouis XIV.

Works

Blunt highlights Robert's main works as follows:

• Illustrations within the book -Guirlande de Julie- which was produced byNicolas Jarryas a gift for Julie Lucine d'Angennes from her future husband theDuke of Montausier.It was this work that made Robert famous and drew the attention ofGaston, Duke of Orléans.
• Paintings of flowers on vellum for Gaston and latterly forLouis XIVthat form the nucleus of theRecueil des vélinscurrently held in theMuséum national d'histoire naturellewithin theJardin des Plantes.
• Contributions to theRecueil des Plantes- a collection of engravings of flowers. Prints from these were published in the two-volume work -Estampes de Plantesand inMémoires pour servir á l'Histoire des Plantes

Other works include:

• Fiori Diversi- a small book of etchings of flowers published in Rome on 1640.
• Diverses Fleursc 1660
• Sketchbooks A & B, in the Austrian National Library, detailed in H.Walter Lack's Garden of Eden (Taschen:2008)
• Livre des Tulipes, in the Austrian National Library, detailed in H.Walter Lack's Garden of Eden (Taschen: 2008)

Colleagues

Robert worked with the following people:

• Robert Morisona Scottish botanist by whom it is believed that Robert was first prompted to take an interest in scientific botanic illustration.
• Denis Dodart
• Abraham Bosse
• Louis de Chastillon

References

• Wilfred Blunt,Chapter 9 ofThe Art of Botanical Illustration,Collins, London, 1950.
• Artfact
• ILAB