Artwork
Hezekiah Lord Hosmer
Hezekiah Lord Hosmer is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1799 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This black-and-white print, executed in mezzotint and engraving, portrays Hezekiah Lord Hosmer. The image is rendered on wove paper, later mounted to a brown wove backing, and presents the sitter in a formal pose against a softly shaded circular backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
Hezekian Lord Hosmer is shown with carefully rendered curls and dressed in late‑eighteenth‑century fashion, including a high‑collared coat and a cravat. The precise rendering of his attire and hair underscores the portrait’s intent to convey status and refinement.
Technique & Style
The work combines mezzotint’s tonal richness with the fine line work of engraving, allowing subtle gradations of light and deep shadows. The circular shaded background is a typical compositional device of the period, focusing attention on the sitter while providing a gentle sense of depth.
History & Provenance
Created by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, a French artist active in the United States after the Revolution, the print belongs to his body of portraiture made during his American travels. It remains part of the artist’s documented oeuvre.
Context
Saint‑Mémin’s American portraits often captured prominent figures of the new republic, employing European print techniques to meet the demand for affordable, reproducible likenesses. Hosmer’s portrait reflects this cross‑Atlantic exchange of artistic practice and social ambition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
