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.
(in German) Valérie Louzier-Gentaz: Girardet, Abraham. In: Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon. Die Bildenden Künstler aller Zeiten und Völker (AKL). Band 55, Saur, München u. a. 2007, ISBN978-3-598-22795-0, S. 181
René Burnand: L’étonnante histoire des Girardet. Artistes suisses. La Baconnière, Neuchâtel 1940.
René Burnand: Les Girardet au Locle et dans le monde. Éd. de la Baconnière, Neuchâtel 1957.