Jean-Baptiste Le Prince

1734 Metz – 1781 Saint-Denis-du-Port

Jean-Baptiste Le Prince is mainly known for two different historical achievements. He is considered to be the inventor of the aquatint printing technique and was also the initiator in France of a short-lived craze for „Russerie", which competed with the then prevailing vogues of "Chinoiserie" and "Turquerie". Le Prince had set off for Russia in 1757 and remained there until 1762, travelling in regions where few western voyagers had ventured before. During his stay he produced countless studies and sketches of scenes from Russian life, which, after his return to Paris and his admission to the Académie, were to form the basis of his art so to speak.