Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1802
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
John Gay is a 1802 ink by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This small print shows John Gay, an English writer. He sits in a chair, hands folded, wearing a dark coat. The lines are soft but sharp. It's a mezzotint, a tricky print method that makes shadows smooth. Mezzotints start with a rough metal plate. The artist scrapes away smooth areas to leave the darks. That’s how Gay’s face glows in light. Tiny dots fill the background. Look up Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de next.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
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