CLAUDE, a French engraver, the first of the celebrated artists of that name, was the son of Lewis Audran, an officer belonging to the wolf hunters, in the reign of Henry IV. of France; and was born at Paris in 1592. He never made any great progress in that art; so that his prints are held in little or no estimation. Yet though he acquired no great reputation by his own works, it was no small honour to him to be the father of three great artists, Germain, Claude, and Girard; the last of whom has immortalized the name of the family. Claude Audran retired from Paris to Lyons, where he resided, and died in 1677.

Carl, a very eminent engraver, was brother to the preceding, though some assert he was only his cousin-german; and was born at Paris in 1594. In his infancy he discovered much taste, and a great disposition for the arts; and to perfect himself in engraving, which he appears to have been chiefly fond of, he went to Rome, where he produced several prints that did him great honour. At his return, he adopted that species of engraving which is performed with the graver only. He settled at Paris, where he died in 1674, without having ever been married. The Abbe Marolles, who always speaks of this artist with great praise, attributes 130 prints to him: amongst which, the annunciation, a middle-sized plate, upright, from Hannibal Carracci; and the assumption, in a circle, from Domenichino, are the most esteemed. In the early part of his life he marked his prints with C, or the name of Carl, till his brother Claude published some plates with the initial only of his baptismal tistical name; when, for distinction's sake, he used the letter K, or wrote his name Karl, with the K instead of the C.

Germaine, the eldest son of Claude, mentioned in the preceding article but one, was born in 1631 at Lyons, where his parents then resided. Not content with the instructions of his father, he went to Paris, and perfected himself under his uncle Carl; so that, upon his return to Lyons, he published several prints which did great honour to his graver. His merit was in such estimation, that he was made a member of the academy established in that town, and chosen a professor. He died at Lyons in 1710, and left behind him four sons, all artists; namely, Claude, Benoît, John, and Louis.

Claude, the second of this name, and second son to Claude above mentioned, was born at Lyons in 1639, and went to Rome to study painting; where he succeeded so well, that at his return he was employed by Le Brun to assist him in the battles of Alexander, which he was then painting for the king of France. He was received into the Royal Academy in the year 1675, and died unmarried at Paris in 1684. His virtues (says Abbe Fontenai) were as praiseworthy as his talents were great. M. Heineken mentions this artist as an engraver, without specifying any of his works in that line.

Girard, or Gerard, the most celebrated artist of the whole family of the Audrans, was the third son of Claude Audran mentioned in a preceding article, and born at Lyons in 1640. He learned from his father the first principles of design and engraving; and following the example of his brother, he left Lyons and went to Paris, where his genius soon began to manifest itself. His reputation there brought him to the knowledge of Le Brun, who employed him to engrave the battles of Constantine, and the triumph of that emperor; and for these works he obtained apartments at the Gobelins. At Rome, whither he went for improvement, he is said to have studied under Carlo Maratti, in order to perfect himself in drawing; and in that city, where he resided three years, he engraved several fine plates. M. Colbert, that great encourager of the arts, was so struck with the beauty of Audran's works whilst he resided at Rome, that he persuaded Louis XIV. to recall him. On his return, he applied himself assiduously to engraving; and was appointed engraver to the king, from whom he received great encouragement. In the year 1681 he was named counsellor of the Royal Academy; and died at Paris in 1703. He had been married; but left no male issue behind him.

The great excellency of this artist above that of any other engraver was, that though he drew admirably himself, yet he contracted no manner of his own; but transcribed on copper simply, with great truth and spirit, the style of the master whose pictures he copied. On viewing his prints you lose sight of the engraver, and naturally say, it is Le Brun, it is Poussin, it is Mignard, or it is Le Sueur, &c. as you turn to the prints which he engraved from those masters. Let any one examine the battles above-mentioned from Le Brun, the preservation of the young Pyrrhus from Nicholas Poussin, the peft from Mignard, and the martyrdom of St Lawrence from Le Sueur, and then judge candidly of the truth of this observation. The following judicious observations by the abbé Fontenai, taken chiefly from M. Bafan, with some small variation and additions, will fully illustrate the merits of Gerard Audran. "This sublime artist, far from conceiving that a servile arrangement of strokes, and the too frequently cold and affected clearness of the graver, were the great essentials of historical engraving, gave worth to his works by a bold mixture of free hatchings and dots, placed together apparently without order, but with an inimitable degree of taste; and has left to posterity most admirable examples of the style in which grand compositions ought to be treated. His greatest works, which have not a very flattering appearance to the ignorant eye, are the admiration of true connoisseurs and persons of fine taste. He acquired the most profound knowledge of the art by the constant attention and study which he bestowed upon the science of design, and the frequent use he made of painting from nature. This great man always knew how to penetrate into the genius of the painter he copied from; often improved upon, and sometimes even surpassed him. Without exception, he was the most celebrated engraver that ever existed in the historical line. We have several subjects which he engraved from his own designs, that manifested as much taste as character and facility. But, in the battles of Alexander, he surpassed even the expectations of Le Brun himself." These consist of three very large prints, lengthwise, each consisting of four plates, which join together, from Le Brun; namely, the passage of the Granicus; the battle of Arbela; Porsus brought to Alexander, after his defeat. To this set are added two more large prints lengthwise, on two plates each, also from Le Brun, as follow: Alexander entering the tent of Darius; and The triumphal entry of Alexander into Babylon. The former was engraved by Gerard Edelink, and the latter by Gerard Audran. It is to be remarked of all these plates, that those impressions are generally most esteemed which have the name of Guyton the printer marked upon them. The Peft, from Peter Mignard, a large plate, lengthwise, also deserves particular notice. In the first impressions, the figure in the clouds is Juno with her peacock behind her; in the latter, the peacock is obliterated, and the wings of an angel are added to the figure.

Benoît, the second son of Germain Audran, was born at Lyons in 1661, where he learned the first principles of design and engraving under the instruction of his father. But soon after going to Paris, his uncle Gerard Audran took him under his tuition; and Benoît so greatly profited by his instructions, that though he never equalled the sublime style of his tutor, yet he deservedly acquired great reputation. Nay, the abbé Fontenai adds this eulogium: "We admire in his works a share of those beauties which we find in the engravings of the illustrious Gerard." He was honoured with the appellation of the king's engraver, and received the royal pension. He was made an academician, and admitted into the council in 1715. He died unmarried at Louzouer, where he had an estate, in 1721. His manner was founded upon the bold clear style of his uncle. His outlines were firm and determined; his drawing correct; the heads of his figures are in general very expressive; and Audran. the other extremities well marked. His works, when compared with those of his uncle, appear to want that mellowness and harmony which are so conspicuous in the latter; they are more dry; and the round dots with which he finished his flesh upon the lights are often too predominant. In his most finished plates, we find the mechanical part of the engraving extremely neat, and managed with great taste and judgment. Among his neatest prints may be reckoned that which represents Alexander sick, drinking from the cup which his physician presents to him: a circular plate, from Le Sueur.

John, the third son of Germain Audran, was born at Lyons in 1667; and, after having received instructions from his father, went to Paris to perfect himself in the art of engraving under his uncle Gerard Audran. At the age of 20 years, the genius of this great artist began to display itself in a surprising manner; and his future success was such, that in 1707, he obtained the title of engraver to the king, and had a pension allowed him by his majesty, with apartments in the Gobelins; and the following year he was made a member of the Royal Academy. He was 80 years of age before he quitted the graver: and near 90 when he died at his apartments assigned him by the king. He left three sons behind him; one of whom was also an engraver, as we shall see below. "The most masterly and best prints of this artist (in Mr Strutt's opinion) are those which are not so pleasing to the eye at first sight. In these the etching constitutes a great part; and he has finished them in a bold rough style. The scientific hand of the master appears in them on examination. The drawing of the human figure, where it is shown, is correct. The heads are expressive and finely finished; the other extremities well marked. He has not, however, equalled his uncle. He wants that harmony in the effect; his lights are too much and too equally covered; and there is not sufficient difference between the style in which he has engraved his backgrounds and his draperies. This observation refers to a fine print by him of Athaliah, and such as he engraved in that style. At other times he seems almost to have quitted the point, and substituted the graver. But here I think he has not so well succeeded. The effect is cold and flivery: see, for example, the Andromache from Sylvestre. One of his best finished prints, in this neat style, seems to me to be Cupid and Psyche from Ant. Coypel."

Louis, the last son of Germain Audran, was born at Lyons in 1670; from whence he went to Paris, after the example of his brothers, to complete his studies in the school of his uncle Gerard. He died suddenly at Paris in 1712, before he had produced any great number of prints by his own hand. He assisted, it is presumed, his brothers in their more extensive works. Among the most esteemed prints by this artist are the seven acts of mercy, on seven middling sized plates, lengthwise, from Sebastian Bourdon.

Benoît, the second engraver of that name, was the son of John Audran, and nephew to the former Benoît: and was also established at Paris. He engraved but a few plates. It is necessary, however, to be careful not to confound him with his uncle. But a little attention will easily prevent this mistake; for the second Benoît is vastly inferior to the first in point of merit. We have some few portraits by this artist; and among other plates, the descent from the cross, from a picture of Poussin.