David Montagu Erskine
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1799
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1799
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This 1799 print shows David Montagu Erskine in profile. His dark coat and white cravat stand out against the plain background. Mezzotint prints like this use a roughened metal plate to hold ink. The artist scraped the plate to create smooth areas for light and rough areas for dark. See how the curls in his hair catch the light? Compare it to Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de’s other portraits.
