His parents were cloth makers, and it was originally intended that he would follow them into the trade, but he displayed artistic talent at an early age.

In 1742, King Louis XV officially granted permission for Protestants to attend the Académie Royale.

He returned there in the middle of the Second Silesian War, and his first major assignment was creating tactical maps of the battles of Kesselsdorf and Soor, which were published in 1746.

That same year, he married Dorothée Luise Viedebandt, whose father was Director of the Russian Trading Company in Berlin.

Following the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, the demand for art decreased dramatically, and tensions rose at the court.

Having established his reputation throughout Europe, he soon became a wealthy man and was able to acquire a collection of original etchings by Rembrandt.

Over the years, his style fell out of fashion, and he found himself slowly being overshadowed by younger engravers who were willing to work for less.