James**, an excellent painter, was born at Paris, and learnt the rudiments of his profession under Nicholas Bollerhi his uncle; but left him at 20 years of age, and travelled into Italy. He stayed two years at Rome, and from thence went to Venice, where he was so charmed with the works of Titian, Tintoret, and Paul Veronese, that he resolved to follow their manner; and in this he succeeded so far, that at his return to Paris he soon became generally esteemed for the novelty, beauty, and force of his pencil. He painted two galleries at Paris, one belonging to Perault, the first president, and the other to Bullion, superintendant of the finances; but his capital piece is a picture of the descent of the Holy Ghost in the church of Notre Dame. He was seized in the flower of his age, with a fever and impotheume in the lungs, of which he died in 1683. Of all the French painters Blanchard was esteemed the best colourist, he having carefully studied this part of painting in the Venetian school.

**Carte-Blanche.** See Carte.