Mythological Affairs, Amorous Couples, And Nude Studies of Bernard Picart

Bernard Picart (1673-1733) was a French engraver who followed his father, Etienne Picart, in terms of profession. He worked mainly as a book illustrator and produced engravings for the Bible and Ovid. Picart achieved prominence with his oeuvre, illustrarions to “Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde,” (Treaty of Religious Ceremonies of All Nations written by Jean-Frédéric Bernard and Antoine-Augustin Bruzen de la Martinière) being published from 1723 to 1743 (the whole set consists of ten volumes of text and engravings). According to Jonatan I. Israel, this book is “an immense effort to record the religious rituals and beliefs of the world in all their diversity as objectively and authentically as possible.”

Fig. 1. Bernard Picart (after Jean-Marc Nattier, 1715), Wikipedia.org

Fig. 2. A Sleeping Lion (Wikipedia.org)

Fig. 3. A Girl Feeding a Cat (britishmuseum.org)

Fig. 4. Africa with a lion licking her feet (Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde), britishmuseum.org

From the Bible to Scatology

Picart received primary training from his father, then studied drawing at the Académie Royale. In 1696, he moved to Antwerp and, two years later, to Amsterdam, where he worked as a book illustrator for a year. Then he returned to France and married in 1702. Six years later, the spouse having passed, Picart traveled to the Hague. Then he settled in Amsterdam again. At this time, he became sought after, and, as claimed by specialists, the quantity of his works outweighed their quality. d Nevertheless, it must be mentioned that he handled various carving instruments and had the talent for imitating the manners of other masters. Most of the engravings he produced are based on his own designs. The works include a wide range of topics, from biblical to scatological.

Fig. 5. Le parfumeur at work, attributed to Picart (elorganillero.com)

Fig. 6. Two versions of “Sabbath” by Picart (britishmuseum.org)

Nude Studies

Fourteen sculptural engravings attributed to Picart catch the eye of the viewer because of their peculiar technique.