Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1801
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ducorneau is a 1801 ink by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This small print shows a man’s face in soft gray shadows. The details fade in and out, like a photo that’s slightly blurred. Light hits his forehead and cheek, while the rest melts into dark ink. The artist used a technique called mezzotint. He roughed up a metal plate, then smoothed it to create smooth shadows and sharp highlights. It’s a slow, careful process that few printers bother with today. Look for prints by Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de to see more work like this.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
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