François Dorbay (François d´Orbay), hand drawer, engraver and architect, was one of the most prominent figures of French classicist baroque.
François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) was born in Paris in 1634, he served, presumably as of the mid 1650s, an apprenticeship with Le Vau. In 1660 Le Vau sent his ambitious student to Rome, so that François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) would be able to complete his studies. In the Eternal City François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) presented, among others, two drafts for the Spanish Steps.
Back in Paris, Le Vau employed François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) for his projects. The young artist worked, for instance, on the Louvre and in Versailles. As early as in 1664 François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) was appointed "Architecte des Bâtiments du Roi", and after his teacher´s death (1670) he doubtlessly was the main authority for royal building enterprises. In 1671 François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) was founding member of the Académie royale d´Architecture.
As of 1676 the career of François Dorbay (François d´Orbay), which had seen upward movement only in the past, began to flag: Jules Hardouin Mansart became "Premier Architecte" and upstaged François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) on the royal construction sites.
However, alongside his architectural activities, François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) also was a remarkable drawer. His contemporaries recognized this talent of François Dorbay (François d´Orbay), so that he was commissioned a great number of building plans for the "Bâtiments du Roi" (especially after 1676). For Fontainebleau (1676-1678), Chambord (1680-1685), the abbey of Le Lys/Oise (1682) or the observatory in Paris (1692) François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) made virtuous drawings. Some of François Dorbay´s (François d´Orbay) hand drawings even served as model for etchings.
François Dorbay (François d´Orbay) died in Paris in 1697.