# Israël Silvestre artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/israel-silvestre/
Profile generated: 2026-05-30T22:43:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1621-08-13
- Death date: 1691-10-11
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Baroque
- Common media: etching, engraving, drawing, painting

## About Israël Silvestre

Israël Silvestre (1621–1691), called the Younger, was a prolific French draftsman, etcher, engraver, and print publisher active in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. Born in Nancy, he trained in the family workshop of his father Gilles Silvestre before establishing himself as one of the principal topographical printmakers of seventeenth-century France. Silvestre is best known for his detailed etchings of royal châteaux, gardens, and architectural landmarks, including views of Versailles, the Louvre, and Fontainebleau. He served as court engraver and built a thriving print-publishing business. His views of French and Italian cities and monuments remain important visual records of Baroque architecture and urban planning. Collectors encounter his work primarily as etchings and drawings in Old Master print and drawing sales.

## Common works and media

Etchings and engravings of French châteaux, palaces, gardens, and city views are the most common Silvestre works encountered at auction. Preparatory drawings in pen, ink, and wash are rarer and typically carry higher value. His series of views of Versailles, the Louvre, and Roman landmarks are widely held in museum and private collections. Collectors may also encounter reproductive prints made by other engravers after Silvestre's designs.

## Market and appraisal context

Silvestre's etchings and engravings appear regularly in Old Master print and drawing auctions at major houses. Value depends on whether the work is an original print, a preparatory drawing, or a later re-strike; early impressions with strong plate tone on quality paper are the most sought after. His topographical views of French royal sites are his most commercially visible subjects. Attribution can be complicated by the multi-generational Silvestre family workshop, so specialist cataloguing is advisable. Comparable auction records for Old Master topographical prints and drawings provide useful context for appraisal.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine researched artist identity from library authority files, museum records, and scholarly sources with auction-house lot data, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable records when those are available.

## Sources

- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/72600
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500021067
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/66475460/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q358612
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Silvestre
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80122940