BOULANGER, John, an engraver, who flourished towards the end of the last century, was a native of France. His first manner of engraving appears to have been copied, in some degree, from that of Francis de Poilly; but soon after he adopted one of his own, which, though not original, he however greatly improved: He finished the faces, hands, and all the naked parts of his figures, very neatly, with dots instead of strokes, or strokes and dots. The effect is singular enough, and by no means unpleasing: only, in some few instances, he has opposed the coarse graving of his draperies and back ground, so violently to the neater work of the flesh, that the outline of the latter is thereby rendered hard, and the general appearance of it flat and chalky. This style of engraving has been carried to its greatest perfection in the present day, particularly in England. He did not draw the naked parts of his figures correctly, or with fine taste. His draperies are apt to be heavy, and the folds not well marked. However, his best prints possess much merit, and are deservedly held in great esteem.