FELIBIEN, ANDRE, was born in May 1619 at depart ment of Eure et-Loir, France. He was appointed secretary of embassy to the Marquis de Fontenay-Mareuil on his mission to Rome in 1647 ; and there formed an acquaintance with Poussin and other eminent artists, and gave much attention to the study of the Fine Arts. On his return to France he married and settled at Chartres, but subsequently went to Paris, where he acquired the friendship of Colbert, from whom he received in succession the appointments of Historiographer du Roi, superintendent of the royal buildings, and of arts and manufactures, keeper of the antiquities of the Palate Brion, and secretary of the Acad6mie d'Architecture, instituted in 1671. Felibien was one of the eight who formed the Acaddmie des Inscriptions, founded by Colbert in 1663. Louvois appointed Felibien comptroller-general of the highways and bridges, and he held some other offices. As a kind of official director in matters of art in the court of Louis XIV., Felibien's position was one of great influence, and his writings on artistic matters were long regarded as of high authority. The work by which
he is now chiefly known is his Entretiens sur lea Vies et sur Ica Ouvrages des plus excellens Peintres ancieus et moderns,' 4to, Paris, 1666. This work was several times reprinted in other countries as well as in France, translated into various languages, and is still regarded as a valuable book of reference. It is by far the best of Felibien'a pro ductions, but is crude, immethodical, and diffuse. He also published Origine de Ia Peinture; 4to, Paris, 1660; Prineipes de l'Architec ture, de in Sculptere, do Ia Peinture, et des autres Arts qui en dOpendant, avec un Dictionnaire des Termed propres; 4to, Paris, 1676.90 ; 'Conf6rences de 1'Acaddmie de Peinture,' 4to, Paris, 1669; and descriptions of the palace of Versailles, and of its artistic treasures, of the Abbey of La Trappe, and of various entertainments given by Louie XIV., besides seine religious pieces, translations, &c. All the inscriptions placed in the court of the Hotel de Ville at Paris between 1660 and 1686 were written by Felibien. He died June 11, 1695.