Artwork
Chapman Johnson
Chapman Johnson is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Heward. / Nathaniel Heyward.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1808, this mezzotint and engraving depicts Chapman Johnson, a figure rendered with a calm, smooth visage illuminated from the left.
Created in 1808, this mezzotint and engraving depicts Chapman Johnson, a figure rendered with a calm, smooth visage illuminated from the left. Executed by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin, the work presents the sitter in a dark coat with a distinct white collar, utilizing fine lines to articulate the realistic folds of the fabric. The portrait is printed in black on wove paper, which is mounted to a brown wove backing.
Measuring approximately five inches in width, the print exemplifies Saint-Mémin's distinctive neoclassical profile style, adapted here for a frontal or three-quarter view through the mezzotint technique. Produced in Washington, D.C., during the artist's American period, this piece highlights the relative rarity of mezzotint production in the United States at the time. The work serves as a specific example of Saint-Mémin's efforts to document prominent American citizens through precise, linear engraving combined with the tonal richness of mezzotint, bridging European printmaking traditions with the emerging cultural landscape of the early American republic.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a man dressed in a dark overcoat with a crisp white collar. His expression is composed, and the lighting, coming from the viewer’s left, highlights the smoothness of his face while casting subtle shadows that suggest a calm demeanor.
Technique & Style
The artist employed mezzotint to achieve rich tonal gradations, complemented by fine engraved lines that delineate the folds of the coat. This hybrid approach, uncommon in early‑19th‑century America, allows for both the softness of tonal shading and the precision of line work within a very compact format.
History & Provenance
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Ménin produced the print in Washington, D.C., at a time when mezzotint was scarcely practiced in the United States. The piece later entered the Corcoran Collection, where it remains documented as part of the museum’s holdings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
