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Taylor, Isidore Justin Severin
baron; French author and artist; b. 1789 (at Brussels); d. 1879.
Taylor was the son of an Englishman naturalized in France. He was educated in Paris, and in 1811 began his artistic voyages. He served in the army in 1813, and was commissaire royal at the Théâtre Français in 1824. In 1838 he was created inspecteur général des beaux arts. He travelled extensively in Europe and the East, and published a series of monumental topographical works, the most important of which is the Voyages pittoresques et romantiques de l'ancienne France (Paris, 1820-1863, 24 vols, folio). This work was never finished. The innumerable lithographic illustrations are extraordinarily fine, drawn by Isabey Géricault, Ingres, Horace Vernet, Fragonard, Viollet-le-Duc, Ciceri, Duzats, and Baron Taylor himself. In the editorial work he was assisted by Charles Nodier and A. de Cailleux. He published Voyage pittoresque en Espagne, en Portugal, etc. (Paris, 1826- 1832,3 vols. 4to); Syrie, l'Égypte, la Palestine et la Judée (Paris, 1835-1839, 3 vols. 4to ); Pèlerinage à Jérusalem (Paris, 1841); Voyage en Suisse (Paris, 1843); Les Pyrénées (Paris, 1843, 8vo).
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