Porträt Nicolas Bernier (1664-1734)

Portrait of Nicolas Bernier. The French composer is presented here as a chest image to the right. He turned his head towards the observer and met him with a friendly look. He wears a short, curly wig and simple clothes. A column foot can be seen to the right behind it. The portrait is oval. It rests on a pedestal A notebook with readable notes is clamped between the image and the base. On the base one reads on an inscription the name of the depicted, his activity and his life data. Nicolas Bernier studied in Rome with Antonio Caldara (1670-1736). He then went to Paris, applied as Kapellmeister and then became head of the canoe porridge of Chartres Cathedral, then Saint-Germain-l 'Auxerrois in Paris. Around 1700 he was able to present his “Te Deum” in front of the king with great success at Fontainebleau Palace. From 1705 to 1726 he became musical director at the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris; from 1723 he was one of the four musical directors of the “Chapelle royale.” The leaf was made as a copper engraving by the French engraver Etienne Ficquet (1719-1794). The paper is written by Monogrammisten L.N., who has not been informed of any further details. In this sheet, the publisher’s address at the bottom of the scene was deleted. Another specimen owned by the LWL Museum of Art and Culture in Münster shows the exact line: "AParis chez Odieuvre M.d “Estampes rue d” Anjou, la derniere P. Cochere a gauche entrant par la rue Dauph.e C. P. R.“It then became part of the 1765 publication:” L “Europe illustre: contenant l” histoire abrégée des souverains (). " Signature: L.N. Pinx. Ficquet sc. Caption: NICOLAS BERNIER M.e de Musique ci-devant de la S.e Chapelle de Paris, ensuitte de la Chapelle du Roi, né à Mante, le 28 Juin 1664. Mort à Paris le 8 juillet 1734. (Stiftung Händel-Haus Halle Foundation)