M. A. Meschert
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1800
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1800
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This tiny portrait shows a man in a dark coat against a light background. The artist used a printmaking method called mezzotint. It makes soft, velvety shadows by roughening the metal plate before smoothing it. Mezzotint was popular for portraits in the late 1700s. This one is extra small—just over two inches square. It’s crisp and detailed, like a photograph. Look up Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de to see more of his work.
