







Simon Gribelin
Simon Gribelin arrived in London as a Huguenot refugee from Blois in 1681. While he is famous for his large plates, he began his career as a specialist in small-scale silver engraving. He produced pattern books for clockmakers and goldsmiths which featured fine foliage and scrollwork. This background in metalwork gave his later printmaking a precise, metallic clarity that differed from the softer styles of his contemporaries.
Biography
Gribelin is best known for his series of engravings after Raphael's Cartoons at Hampton Court. He approached these monumental Renaissance works with the technical discipline of a decorative engraver. His plates for The Miraculous Draught of Fishes and Paul Preaching at Athens use a systematic hatching technique to translate oil paintings into monochrome lines. He often included architectural borders in his prints, treating the paper like a piece of engraved silver plate.
Modern collectors value Gribelin for the architectural quality of his compositions. His works, such as Hercules Rejects Pleasure and Chooses Virtue, provide a structured aesthetic that suits formal interiors. The crisp lines of his engravings remain sharp even in reproduction. These prints offer a way to display the compositions of the High Renaissance through the lens of eighteenth-century British craftsmanship.
Notable Works
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Simon Gribelin born?
Simon Gribelin was born in 1661 and died in 1733.What is Simon Gribelin known for?
Simon Gribelin is known for simon Gribelin was a Huguenot engraver who translated Raphael's monumental cartoons into precise, decorative prints for the eighteenth-century British public.







