He was the eldest son of the publisher and bookseller, Samuel Girardet (1730–1807). In 1783, he moved to Paris, where he took lessons in drawing and printmaking from Bénédict Alphonse Nicollet (1743–1807). His siblings, Abraham Louis, Alexandre, Charles Samuel, and Julie (1769–1817) also worked as engravers.
He remained in Paris during the early stages of the Revolution, creating depictions of major events. From 1792 to 1794, however, he returned to Neuchâtel and became a teacher there. This was followed by an extended trip to what is now Italy. When he returned to Paris in 1795, he focused on making prints.
Many of his best known engravings are taken from the Old Masters; notably, the Transfiguration (after Raphael), the Rape of the Sabine Women (after Nicolas Poussin), the Triumph of Titus and Vespasia (after Giulio Romano) and the Dead Savior (after Andrea del Sarto).
He received awards at the Salon of 1806 and 1808. In his later years, he was a drawing teacher at the Gobelins Manufactory.
