Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1809
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Arthur Harper is a 1809 ink by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This small engraving shows Arthur Harper’s face in three-quarter view. Light falls on his cheek and forehead, leaving the rest in soft shadow. The background is plain, so your eyes stay on his sharp profile and high collar. Saint-Mémin used a printing trick called mezzotint. He roughed a metal plate, then smoothed it to leave tiny burrs that held ink. Each press left a velvety dark tone that feels almost photographic for 1809. The fine lines around Harper’s eyes hint at age and quiet confidence. See how the paper edges curl slightly under the mount. Look next at Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
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