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François-Nicolas Martinet

1731 – 1804

French engineer, engraver and naturalist

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About François-Nicolas Martinet

Lived 1731 – 1804 (aged 72–73). François-Nicolas Martinet was a French engineer, engraver, naturalist, ornithologist, draftsperson and graphic artist.

François-Nicolas Martinet (; 1731 - c. 1800) was a French engineer, engraver and naturalist. Although trained as an engineer and an architectural drafter, he began to produce engravings for books and it later became his primary profession.

Martinet's year of birth is known but sources are divided on the year of his death. Little is known of his life, a son, Aaron Martinet, became a print dealer in Paris. By 1756 he became engraver for the King's cabinet, reporting to the Maison du Roi. Martinet engraved the plates for numerous works on natural history, especially ornithology. Notable in particular are those for Buffon's natural history where he made 1008 engravings. He also contributed 21 ornithological illustrations to Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie.

His major work was for l'Ornithologia, sive Synopsis methodica of Mathurin Jacques Brisson (1760–63) to which he contributed extensively.

Some of his plates have been of importance in the taxonomy and identification of now extinct species. Some of his engravings were later hand coloured and these are not uniform or consistent across copies. He also produced illustrations of architecture, landscape, and theatre.

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Important facts

Born
1731
Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
N. Martinet, François Nicolas Martinet, Francois Nicolas Martinet

People in François-Nicolas Martinet's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

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Frequently asked questions

Who was François-Nicolas Martinet?

French engineer, engraver and naturalist

When was François-Nicolas Martinet born?

François-Nicolas Martinet was born in 1731.

When did François-Nicolas Martinet die?

François-Nicolas Martinet died on 10 December 1804 in Paris.

What was François-Nicolas Martinet's occupation?

François-Nicolas Martinet was an engineer, engraver, naturalist, ornithologist, draftsperson and graphic artist.

What nationality was François-Nicolas Martinet?

François-Nicolas Martinet was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: François-Nicolas Martinet

· Wikidata: Q3083602

· DBpedia: François-Nicolas Martinet

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). François-Nicolas Martinet. https://biography.guide/francois-nicolas-martinet/

MLA: "François-Nicolas Martinet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/francois-nicolas-martinet/.

Chicago: "François-Nicolas Martinet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/francois-nicolas-martinet/.

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