Jacques Chereau

Jacques Chereau (29 October 1688 – 1 December 1776) was a prominent French portrait engraver, printmaker, and publisher, best known for his production of vue d’optique or optical prints. Born in Blois, France, to a carpenter’s family, Chereau spent time working in England before establishing himself in Paris alongside his older brother François Chereau, a fellow engraver trained under Pierre Drevet and Gérard Audran. From his shop in the Rue Saint-Jacques—variously labeled on prints as "au Grand St. Remy," "au Coq," or "au dessus de la Fontaine St. Severin"—Chereau became one of the most prolific publishers of optical prints in 18th-century Paris. Between roughly 1740 and 1776, Chereau produced vivid hand-colored engravings designed to be viewed through zograscopes, a popular optical device that created a sense of depth through perspective and color. These prints, which depicted current events, exotic views, and imaginative scenes, were widely collected across Europe. After his death at age 88, the printmaking business continued under his grandson, Jacques-Francois Chereau, with works from this period often bearing the elder Chereau’s name.