Charles-Melchior Descourtis
About the artist
Charles-Melchior Descourtis (1753–1820) gained recognition in France as a consummate printmaker, particularly for his expertise with the colour aquatint process. Born in Paris, Descourtis apprenticed with Jean-François Janinet, a pivotal figure in late 18th-century French colour printing. Following in Janinet’s footsteps, he excelled in the use of both aquatint and wash-manner techniques, which enabled him to achieve subtle gradations of tone and painterly qualities within his prints.
Among Descourtis’s first significant undertakings was a set of four engravings inspired by Pierre Antoine de Machy’s paintings, depicting scenes from Paris and Rome. Published in 1784, these prints showcased his technical prowess and his remarkable attention to the atmosphere and intricacies of urban scenes. In 1785, he collaborated with Janinet on the series "Vues remarquables des montagnes de la Suisse," a work featuring impressive Swiss landscapes interpreted from various artists’ designs.
Descourtis reached particular renown with his vivid colour prints based on the genre paintings of Nicolas-Antoine Taunay, such as "The Village Wedding" (1785) and its counterpart, "The Village Fair" (1788). These pieces are celebrated for their sensitive application of greens throughout the scenery and for the harmonious blending of hues, effectively expressing the serenity and picturesque quality of rural life. Additionally, he produced two more dynamic and somewhat caricatured prints in this collection, titled "The Tambourine" and "The Brawl," which, though energetic, are often regarded as less polished. These types of genre scenes enjoyed considerable appeal among collectors of the period, valued for their engaging nature and distinctiveness.
Beyond landscapes and scenes of everyday life, Descourtis also created portrait engravings, including his depiction of Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia in 1791. In the late 1790s, he devoted considerable effort to prints after Jean-Frederic Schall’s works, most notably "The Lover Surprised" and "The Peeping Toms." He further demonstrated his adaptability by illustrating a series for Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s novel "Paul et Virginie" (1788), thereby affirming his wide-ranging impact and significance within French printmaking of his time.