| Jacques Philippe Le Bas received his first art lessons in Paris under M. Hérisset at age fourteen. His talents were evident at an early age and he finished his studies several years later under the engraver, Nicolas Tardieu. La Bass first independent engravings date from 1735. In his early works he excelled in landscapes and figure studies, combining both engraving and etching to lend more facility to his compositions than was usually the case at this time.
Le Bas quickly established himself as one of the most sought after engravers of the mid eighteenth century. He was admitted as a full member of the prestigious Royal French Academy in 1743 and had earlier received the title of Engraver to the King. By 1750, many of the best young engravers in Europe came to Paris to study under Le Bas. These included such great artists in their own right at Eisen, Cochin, Moreau, De Launey, Robert Strange and Henry Ryland. Le Bass wide reaching artistic influence thus carried into the early nineteenth century.
Scholars usually point to Le Bass engravings created before 1750 as being the summit of his art. These engravings are easy to distinguish as they were both engraved and published by Le Bas and bear his Rue de la Harpe address . |
