Étienne Delaune


Étienne Delaune, Delaulne, or De Laune, was a French goldsmith, medallist, draughtsman and engraver.

Life

He was born in Paris, or more probably at Orléans, in 1518. medallist, draughtsman He worked as a goldsmith in Paris in the 1550s. In 1552 he was appointed to the royal mint, where he would have produced metalwork designs. However, he left this position after six months following a dispute about wages. During his employment at the mint, Delaune had been able to build links with the French court and king. This allowed him to obtain royal commissions in particular for the design of intricately detailed royal armour, medals and other metalwork.
, depicting Hannibal's victory of the Romans at Cannae in 216 BC
He commenced his career as an engraver of medals, and is said to have been helped by Benvenuto Cellini, who was at that time living in Paris. He afterwards engraved many prints after Raphael, and the Italian masters of Fontainebleau, and still more after the designs of his son Jean, with whom he passed the greater part of his life at Strassburg. His style was formed upon that of the Little Masters of Germany. He died at Strassburg in 1595.
Étienne Delaune was one of the most famous designers of goldsmithery of his time. There are six of his designs in the Louvre; two of them are for circular dishes representing the Histories of Moses and of Samson. His prints, which are generally small, are very numerous; they are executed entirely with the graver, with great dexterity of handling, and are very highly finished. He copied some of the prints of Marc Antonio with success. He usually marked his prints with the initial of his Christian name, S., or S. F., or S. fecit, but sometimes Stephanus, fecit.

Works

His works are described in Robert-Dumesnil's 'Peintre-Graveur,' vol. ix. The following are the principal: