La Magdeleine pénitente, gravure de Tardieu d’après Paolo Pagani, v. 1750, Dresde, Galerie des vieux maitres de Dresde.
Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu was born on 2 September 1716 in Paris.He was the son ofMarie-Anne Horthemels andNicolas-Henri Tardieu, both engravers.[1]He was taught by his father, who was recognized as one of the most eminent engravers France has produced.[2]He was received at theAcadémie française on 24 October 1749 for his engraved portraits ofBon Boullogne (afterGilles Allou) and Le Lorrain (afterDonat Nonnotte).[3] He becamegraveur ordinaire du roi (Official Engraver to the King) and is also described asgraveur ordinaire of the Elector of Cologne.[4]
Tardieu married in turn two print makers, Jeanne-Louise-Françoise Duvivier andÉlisabeth-Claire Tournay.[5]Jeanne-Louise is on record as having made several engravings. Her father,Jean Duvivier, and her brother,Pierre-Simon-Benjamin Duvivier, were both medal engravers, members of the Academy andgraveurs du roi (King's Engravers). Jeanne-Louise died on 6 April 1762.Tardieu's second wife, Élisabeth Claire (1731 – 3 May 1773) was also an engraver.Her works includedThe Concert afterJean François de Troy,La Marchande de moutarde (The Mustard Merchant) afterCharles François Hutin,La Dame de Charité (The Charitable Lady),Le Prêtre du Catéchisme (The Catechist) andLa Vieille Coquette (The Old Coquette) afterPierre Louis Dumesnil, andLe Joli Dormir (The Repose) afterÉtienne Jeaurat. The tendency for wives to become prominent artists beside their husbands was unusual at the time but was common in the Tardieu family.[6]
Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu died in Paris on 9 July 1791.His sonJean-Charles Tardieu became a well-known painter.[7]
Tardieu made less use of the point graver than his father, and more use of theBurin, or cold chisel.As a result, his prints are more precise. It has been said, however, that they are "inferior in spirit and picturesqueness of effect."[8]He made some of the plates for the Gallery of Versailles, after paintings byCharles Le Brun.[2]His greatest ability may have been in portraits, such as those of his father and ofAlexis Simon Belle,Pierre Jeannin and Mademoiselle du Bocage. His most notable portrait was that of the queenMarie Leszczyńska, afterJean-Marc Nattier.[3]
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