Jean Michel Moreau, a.k.a. Moreau le Jeune (1741-1814), was a French draughtsman, illustrator, and engraver. The son of a Paris wig-maker, Moreau was attuned to fashion and style from an early age. In 1758, he apprenticed as a painter and followed his master to St Petersburg. The experience left him wanting, and Moreau returned to Paris the following year, completely abandoning painting in favor of engraving. He soon proved to be a skilled draughtsman and was given prestigious commissions such as Diderot’s Encyclopédie or the novels of writers such as Voltaire or Rousseau.

In 1770, Moreau was named Designer to the King of France, and in 1781 promoted to Engraver to the King. During the bloody years of the French Revolution, he managed to survive and prosper as an engraver and illustrator. In 1814, Louis XVIII re-appointed him to a royal office, but Moreau died shortly after.