Physionotrace

The Physionotrace, ( from French physiognomy, in physiognomy, facial features and tracé, outline), from 1786 to 1830 used mainly in Paris device in style on an evolved Silhouettierstuhls to streamline the production of profile portraits. Also, and especially a prepared with this device etching is consistently referred to as Physionotrace. The American spelling is " Physiognotrace ".

The mechanism

The drawing shown at the Bibliothèque nationale de France is the only image source for about 1.70 m high, a Silhouettierstuhl comparable unit, took the porträtierende to place on its side. The movable element of a Pantografengestänges formed of parallelograms (in the drawing above left) was a long, leading into the room background thread ( not shown on the drawing), with the profile contour of the seat occupant was traced. The Pantograph transferred here this contour line on an underlying spanned paper. Even during the few -minute session completed, the artist freehand drawing of the single portraits, so that initially created a life-size representation, as shown on the drawing. From this sheet, the basic features of the portraits were later with the help of a second, decreasing pantographs, transmitted in the form of dotted lines on a copper plate, which was previously prepared by etching. This printing plate was in etching, usually combined with aquatint, completed.

The portraits

Typically, the round (sometimes high oval, often rectangular ) profile representations of a diameter of about 6 cm, the pressure plates, a measure of 7 × 6-9 × 8 cm, and they are, for example, 15 × 12 cm wide paper with a circulation deducted from at least twelve copies. However, up to 2000 prints were possible. On the printing not only the manufacturer's signatures are given, in an unusual way advertises in the bottom circumferential labeling the complete address for a visit to the studio (eg Dess [ INEE ] et Gr [ AVEE ] par Bouchardy Suc [ Processor ] de Chretien, inv. [ enteur ] you Physionotrace. Palais Royale No. 82 à Paris). Also, the term Physionotrace is exposed as a brand name on each copy. Over 6000 different portraits in this technology should be developed 1786-1830.

The workshops

Gilles -Louis Chrétien (1754-1811) invented 1786 in Versailles both the procedure and the term " Physionotrace ". A little later he established himself in Paris and secured by a few portraits of famous contemporaries ( the Dauphin, Madame de Stael, Marat, Robespierre ) a popularity that led numerous foreign visitors to Paris in his studio. From 1788 to August 1789 he worked Quenedey Edme ( 1756-1830 ) whose portrait drawings he erased. Since December 1789 drew in his workshop the miniaturist Jean Fouquet, who was in the role of Jean Simon Fournier ( active?, By 1799 at the latest to 1805 ) replaced.

1789 The said eraser Edme Quenedey became self-employed as Physionotracist in Paris, worked from 1796 to 1801 in Hamburg and then back up to his death in Paris.

From Pierre Gonord (1755-1799 detectable) a few, undated exist, but in some cases localizable to The Hague portraits, which are referred to as " dessiné au Physionotrace ". The repeatedly mentioned in connection with this technique miniatures and medallions on wood and ivory have probably nothing to do with the Physionotrace, they come from his son Francois Gonord.

Bouchardy père (1797-1849), a miniature painter, took over after the death of Chrétien 's workshop, whether Bouchardys son Etienne was part of it, is uncertain.

Charles- Balthazar -Julien Févret de Saint- Mémin, emigrated to America in 1793, was successful in Canada, Burlington and New York and physionotracierte several presidents.

John Isaac Hawkins was awarded in 1802 a U.S. patent on a modified Physionotrace machine and went back to London in 1803.

Culture Historical classification

The silhouette ( silhouette portrait ) and even the preference for the seen in profile portrait was a fad of the decades around 1800. It is connected with the strict, formal style of the period of classicism, the contemporary interest in physiognomy and in the years immediately after the French Revolution rapidly increasing needs of the middle class of affordable, reproducible portraits. Thus, the invention Chrétien was timely, but not always original. It was preceded by both the Silhouettierstuhl long been used, by a figure in the Physiognomische fragments (2nd Book, 1776) by Johann Caspar Lavater had become generally known, as well as various other attempts, the silhouette with a mechanical reduction through the pantographs and the engraving to combine for portrait production. A new feature for the production of portraits, in addition to the technical support but especially the working -part sequence of image production and so the small round copper engravings produced with the aid of Physionotrace have been referred to early on as a precursor of photography. Even the organization of the business operations seems very modern to: The customer Chrétien bought in upscale store at Palais Royal a ticket for the four weeks later to be held in a side street workshop meeting date, and another 14 days later he was able to pick the engraving plate and 12 finished prints. 1829 emerged the last dated Paris Physionotrace - portraits. This means that even in the decade before the invention of photography (1839 ) played the Physionotrace as a visual medium, no significant role.

Artistic meaning

The artistic quality and the demands on the skills of the artist have been given the routine method of production of a Physionotrace - portraits often underestimated. In contrast, it should be noted that the mechanical replication of the outer profile theoretically could be laymen working well, the interior details but still required the hand of a quick, safe and skilled portraitist. Not for nothing worked himself almost constantly Chretien professional miniaturist for this activity. The reaction in the copper engraving was then rather have a skilled, albeit challenging task.