Print collector's quarterly (4.1914)

the weakly moclelecl face appears decidedly unimport-
ant. In bis portrait of the miniature painter, Jean Bap-
tiste Masse, Wille secured a less effective play of con-
trasting tones, but much greater evenness and breadth
in the treatment of the head than in all his other por-
traits. Beside these there are three plates representing
Frederick the Great of Prussia, and a portrait of Jean de
Boullogne, who was Controleur-General des Finances.
This leads ns to his last achievement in this line, the por-
trait which he made for his admission to the Academy
in 1761. It represents Abel Frangois Poisson de Vaudi-
eres, Marquis de Marigny, Directeur-General des bäti-
ments du Roi. He was none other than thebrother of
that attractive young woman callecl Mlle. Poisson, who
one day found herseif juggling with the hing, the trea-
sury, and the government of France in the röle of the
Marquise de Pompadour. Marigny attempted to be to
Louis XV what Lebrun had been to the Grand Monarque;
but times had changed and all his master could do was
to say, “Apres moi le deluge,” and begin to pull down
Versailles.
By 1753, Wille was already tiring of portrait-work.
The suite of Reitres et Lansquenets which he produced in
that year proved an agreeable diversion. He shortly
after engraved a rather successful Death of Cleopatra.
In 1755 he found his mark when he engraved La Devi-
deuse after Gerard Dow, and produced a pretty picture,
the miniature finish of which clid not fail to please the
public taste. Wille saw what was wantecl, and he hence-
forth devoted himself to the translation of a mass of
genre paintings after Metzu, Mieris, Gerard Dow, and
also several Contemporary painters, including his son
Pierre-Alexandre Wille. They became great favorites

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