François Chifflart

His father was a locksmith who was also known for his skill as a carver and worked for Louis Fiolet, a notable manufacturer of earthenware tobacco pipes.

François began studying at the municipal school of design at an early age.

Shortly after, he rebelled against the Academicism of the time, focusing more on designing and engraving.

[2] He helped design illustrations for Hugo's Toilers of the Sea (engraved by Fortuné Méaulle) and a new edition of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

He lost most of his clientele when he began to harshly criticize Napoleon III during the Franco-Prussian War,[3] and sank into an oblivion from which he never fully recovered.