Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Lombart, Pierre
LOMBART, PIERRE (1620?–1681), engraver, was born in Paris, where he is said to have studied design under Simon Vouet. He came to England about 1640, and he resided in London for more than twenty years. He was largely employed in engraving book illustrations, and his works of that class are numerous, the most important being the plates after F. Clein in Ogilby's 'Virgil,' 1658, and 'Iliad,' 1660, which are favourably mentioned by Evelyn in his 'Sculptura.' But Lombart's reputation rests on his portraits, which, though somewhat hard and deficient in colour, have much merit; of these the best are the twelve half-lengths after Vandyck, known as 'The Countesses,' the set consisting of ten ladies of that rank with the young Earls of Pembroke and Arundel. His largest plate, an equestrian portrait imitated from Vandyck's well-known composition of Charles I under an arch, with a page substituted for M. de St. Antoine, underwent curious changes. It is assumed to have originally represented the king, though no impression in that state is known, and the head must have been immediately altered {perhaps before publication) to that of Oliver Cromwell; later it was again altered to Charles, and then once more became Cromwell. Other good English portraits by Lombart are those of Robert Walker the painter; Cromwell, half length with a page, after R.Walker; Sir Samuel Moreland, bart., after Lely; Brian Watson, D.D.; Jeremy Taylor (frontispiece to his 'Holy Living and Dying,' 1650); and John Ogilby, after Lely (frontispiece to his 'Virgil' above mentioned). Lombart appears to have returned to France soon after the restoration of Charles II, his portrait of the Duc de Grammont, which was engraved there, being dated 1663. During the remainder of his life, which was passed in Paris, he executed some fine portraits of eminent persons, chiefly French, as well as sacred subjects after Raphael, Poussin, Champagne, and others. Lombart died in Paris on 30 Oct. 1681.
[Vertue's collections in Brit. Mus. Addit. MS. 23078; Walpole's Anecdotes, 1849, p. 920; J. Strutt's Dict. of Engravers, 1786; Cat. of the Sutherland Collection; A. Firmin-Didot's Les Graveurs de Portraits en France, 1875-7.]