Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1799
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Chauncey Goodrich is a 1799 ink by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a man’s face in profile, all sharp lines and soft shadows. The artist used mezzotint, a tricky printmaking trick that makes dark areas smooth like velvet. You can see every hair and wrinkle. Mezzotint is rare for American artists back then. Saint-Mémin learned it in Paris and brought the skill home. The tiny size shows off his control—just 5.5 inches square. Look at how light plays on the cheekbone. It’s almost like a photograph before cameras. Check out Saint-Mémin’s other portraits next time you visit the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
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