Pierre-François Basan

His father, Claude-Pierre Basan, was a wine merchant and his mother, Nicole née Charpizaux, was a cousin of the engraver, Étienne Fessard, who gave him his first drawing lessons.

From 1747, he worked for the print publisher, Michel Odieuvre [fr] then, from 1750 to 1754, he was engaged in several large projects, including illustrations for the Histoire Naturelle, by the Comte de Buffon.

[1] In 1786, he bought seventy-six original brass plates by Rembrandt, from the estate of the collector, Claude-Henri Watelet, and issued them in a deluxe volume.

[4] Together with Noël Le Mire, from 1767 to 1771 he published an edition of the Metamorphoses by Ovid, in four volumes, which included a biography of the author by Claude-Pierre Goujet, with illustrations by many of France's most notable engravers.

The knowledge he acquired in the course of his business made him a much sought-after expert for estate sales, auctions, and the writing of catalogues.