Niccolo Billy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Niccolo Billy (also called Nicolo Billy I) was an engraver of the 18th century, active in Rome. Originally from France but active c. 1734 as an Italian engraver, along with his brother Antonio Billy. They engraved several portraits and historical subjects. Niccoló engraved some plates for the Museum Florentinum, including self-portraits of Federico Zuccaro; Hans Holbein; Pier Leone Ghezzi; and Giovanni Morandi. He also engraved Cardinal Pompeo Aldrovandi after G. Berti; Infant Jesus sleeping; Cardinal Spinelli; St. Philip Neri kneeling before the Virgin after Sebastiano Conca; The Holy Family: after Caracci; St Michael Archangel after Pietro da Cortona (1689); and The Flight into Egypt; after Guido Reni.

He engraved images of Louis XIV based on designs of Ludovico Gimignani and Michelangelo Causeo based on designs of Carlo Maratti (1690). He engraved Celebriores Vallumbrosanae Congregationis Sancti, Beati ac Venerabilis (1695) for Giovanni Aurelio Casari. From 1734 to 1747, the cardinals based on calcography of Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi.

[edit] References