Hubert Francois Bourguignon Gravelot was a French 'surveyor', illustrator, engraver, painter and draughtsman, active in England in the mid-18th century. He is particularly noted for his book illustrations and is credited for having played a major role in the development of the rococo style in Britain.
Gravelot was born in Paris, France on 26 March 1699 the second of two sons of Hubert Bourguignon, a master tailor, and his wife, Charlotte Vaugon. In 1733 he opened a drawing school in London, England and became an important figure in the artistic community there. After being accused of being a French spy, Gravelot later returned to France in October 1745 where he continued to work on English commissions. Gravelot died in Paris on 19 April 1773.
Bibliography
Chambers, Douglas, 'Painting with Living Pencils: Lord Petre', Garden History, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Spring, 1991), pp. 60-76
Desmond, Ray, Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists (London: Taylor & Francis, 1994), p. 241
Sullivan, M. G., ‘Gravelot , Hubert-François (1699–1773)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/11307> [accessed 25 July 2008]