Portrait of Guillaume-Antoine Olivier - Ambroise Tardieu

A precise nineteenth-century engraving by Ambroise Tardieu depicting the French naturalist Guillaume-Antoine Olivier.

This engraving by Ambroise Tardieu depicts the French naturalist and entomologist Guillaume-Antoine Olivier. The portrait is presented within a clean oval frame, a common convention for nineteenth-century scientific and biographical prints. Tardieu, a member of a prominent family of cartographers and engravers, demonstrates technical precision in the rendering of the subject's features and the texture of his formal attire. The sitter is shown in a high-collared coat, reflecting the fashion of the period and his status as a member of the Académie des Sciences.

Below the portrait, the text provides biographical details, identifying Olivier as a traveller and entomologist, and noting his birth in 1756 and death in 1814. The inclusion of such information suggests the print was intended for a biographical collection or a scientific publication. The engraving technique employs fine lines and cross-hatching to create subtle tonal variations, particularly in the shading of the face and the soft, cloud-like background within the oval. The composition is balanced and restrained, adhering to the aesthetic standards of the era. This print offers a clear record of a figure who contributed to the study of natural history during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The work is a representative example of the portrait engraving tradition, where clarity and accuracy were prioritised to document the likeness of public figures for a wider audience.