Vaillant, Wallerant

Vaillant, Wallerant (bapt. Lille, 30 May 1623; d Amsterdam, 28 Aug. 1677).
Dutch printmaker, draughtsman, and painter of Flemish birth. He spent most of his career in Amsterdam, but he worked in various other places, including Paris, where he lived from 1659 to 1665, and Vertue says he visited England. Most of his paintings are portraits, but he also produced still-lifes and genre scenes (A Boy Seated Drawing, Louvre, Paris, and other versions). However, he was active mainly as a printmaker and draughtsman, and he is remembered particularly as the first professional exponent of mezzotint. He learnt the new technique from Prince Rupert, whom he met in Frankfurt in 1658, and produced about 200 prints in the method. Vaillant had several painter brothers and half-brothers: Jacques (c.1625–91), Jean (1627–?after 1688), Bernard (1632–98), and Andries (1655–93). They were active mainly as portraitists.