Charles Errard the Elder
Charles Errard the Elder (1570–1628) was a French painter. He also served as painter-in-ordinary to the French king and designer of fortifications in Brittany. He is also notable as father of Charles Errard the Younger, also an artist.
Also recorded as Erard le vieux · Errard le vieux · Charles Errard l'Ancien
Charles Errard the Elder

Charles Errard · Château des ducs de Bretagne · Public domain
- Born
- 1570 · Bressuire.
- Died
- 1628 · Nantes.
- Nationality
- France
- Occupation
- painter · architect · printmaker · military engineer
- Languages
- French
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Charles Errard the Elder (1570–1628) was a French painter. He also served as painter-in-ordinary to the French king and designer of fortifications in Brittany. He is also notable as father of Charles Errard the Younger, also an artist.
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wikidata · Q84081384 · wikipedia · Charles Errard the Elder
In this article
Life
Life
Born in Bressuire, he was a son of Hector Errard (c. 1538–1611) and Claudon Mouzin (or Mangin). Hector was a brother of Jean Errard of Bar-le-Duc. Charles trained under François Bunel. He moved to Nantes after the submission of the duc de Mercœur, in 1598, and married Jeanne Cremé. The couple had at least three children – Paul, Anne (who married Jérôme Bachot), and Charles the Younger (1606–1689). He was presented to Louis XIII in 1614 on his journey to Nantes, but as a Calvinist he could not be given a public job. Shortly afterwards he converted to Catholicism and on 1 March 1615 the king made him designer of the repairs and fortifications in the towns of Brittany, replacing Jean Guilbaud at an annual wage of 500 livres. In 1621 he was replaced in that role by his son-in-law Jérôme Bachot and instead became painter-in-ordinary to the king, moving to Paris, where he gained the patronage of cardinal de Richelieu and was also made architect-in-ordinary to the king. According to Frédéric Villot, cited by Auguste Jal, on his way to Rome Claude Lorrain met Charles Errard the Younger with his father and his brother Paul in Marseille. It is unknown when Charles Errard the Elder returned to France, but he died in Nantes.
Works
Works
Almost no works by him survive.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1570
Charles Errard the Elder born at Bressuire.
1628
Charles Errard the Elder died at Nantes.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Bressuire.
Birth place
Nantes.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Auguste Jal, "Errard (Charles II) ?1615-1689?", in Dictionnaire critique de biographie et d'histoire: errata et supplément pour tous les dictionnaires historiques d'après des documents authentiques inédits, Paris, Henri Plon, 1872 (lire en ligne [archive]), p. 538–541
- 2.531-538.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Erard le vieux, Errard le vieux and Charles Errard l'Ancien. His recorded language was French. One child is recorded: Charles Errard. Other recorded relations include Jean Errard. Recorded as painter, architect, printmaker and military engineer.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Prints
4,138 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Charles Edmond KayserEngraver
- Charles Edward BarberEngraver
- Charles Émile EgliEngraver
- Charles ErrardEngraver
- Charles EschardEngraver
- Charles FoxEngraver
- Charles Francis HallEngraver
- Charles GainesEngraver
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