Pierre Aveline (Paris, 1653-1722) 

Pierre Aveline was a French engraver, draftsman, and publisher active in Paris during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Born in 1656, he established himself as a respected printmaker and dealer, best known for his engravings of city views, architectural landmarks, and maps of notable French and European locations.

Aveline worked from his studio near the Rue Saint-Jacques in Paris, an important centre for printers and engravers of the period. He specialised in copperplate engravings and etchings, often reproducing existing drawings or paintings by other artists. His prints included portraits, cityscapes, churches, castles, and gardens, which found popularity among art collectors, travellers, and scholars seeking visual records in an era when images of distant places were rare.

Beyond his work as an artist, Pierre Aveline also operated as a publisher, producing prints both of his own and those of fellow engravers. In doing so, he made a significant contribution to the dissemination of visual information about architecture, geography, and notable figures in early modern Europe.

Aveline's artistic legacy continued through his sons, Antoine Aveline (1691–1743) and Pierre-Alexandre Aveline (1702–1760), both of whom became engravers and publishers themselves, ensuring the Aveline name remained prominent in the Parisian printmaking world throughout the 18th century.

Pierre Aveline died in 1722, but his works remain valued today as both historical documents and fine examples of early modern printmaking.

The Jean Family were geographers, publishers and 'Marchands d'estampes' of Paris at the end of the 18th century.

Most works are credited simply 'Jean'.