Antoine-Louis Romanet (7 January 1742, Paris - 1 April 1807, Saint-Maurice) was a French engraver, designer, and miniaturist.
Biography He was descended from a line of engravers, long established in Paris. One of his cousins was married to the famous engraver, Jean-Georges Wille, who gave him his first lessons.Roger Portalis and Henri Beraldi, Les Graveurs du dix-huitième siècle, Paris, Morgand et Fatout, 1880, III, pp.408-412. In 1765, through Wille, he obtained an apprenticeship in Basel with Christian von Mechel, where he learned advanced techniques for using the burin.Huber and Rost, Manuel des curieux et des amateurs de l'art, Zurich, Orell, Gessner, Fuesslin, 1797-1808, VIII, pg.304 @ Gallica
In 1767, he left Basel then, in 1770, married Françoise-Nicole née Mancel, the daughter of an innkeeper on the Rue Saint-Jacques, with Wille as witness. They had at least four children; two daughters and two sons.
The police came to his home in 1776, arrested him, and took him to his studio, where they confiscated the copper plates and proofs of an engraving depicting a certain "Mme. de Saint-Vincent". She had filed a complaint in the context of an "affair of morals". The police report also cited his dealer, named "Isabey".Revue de l'art français ancien et moderne, Paris, 1888, pp.124-126 @ Gallica
In 1781, he went into business with the art dealer, Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Lebrun, who was himself a painter. At one point, he was forced to sue for payment. He was a regular exhibnitor at the " Salon de la Correspondance" (1779-1787), organized by the writer, .
The Swiss miniaturist, Marc-Louis Arlaud, became his student in 1797. Romanet also worked in that genre, but remained almost entirely known for his engravings.« Marc Louis Arlaud, miniaturiste, portaitiste et fondateur du Musée de Lausanne » @ Notrehistoire During the latter part of his career, his workshop was located at the , which disappeared during the creation of the Boulevard Saint-Michel in the 1860s.
References
External links
L'Histoire des Mœurs et du Costume des Français, Paris, Prault, 1775 Illustrations, Bibliothèque Nationale de France @ Gallica