Artwork
Robert Means
Robert Means is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1809 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1809, this small print measures just over five and a half centimeters on each side.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1809, this small print measures just over five and a half centimeters on each side. Executed in black mezzotint and engraving on wove paper that has been mounted to a brown wove backing, the work records the likeness of Robert Means. It resides within the Corcoran Collection, now held by the National Gallery of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents Robert Means turned toward the left, his expression sober and composed. He is dressed in a sharply cut coat with a high, standing collar and a neatly tied cravat, attire typical of an early‑nineteenth‑century gentleman. The close‑cropped margins focus attention on his face, suggesting an intimate, personal representation rather than a formal public commission.
Technique & Style
The image was produced by mezzotint, a process that begins with a uniformly roughened metal plate to yield deep, velvety shadows. The artist then scraped and burnished the surface to create lighter areas, adding fine engraving lines for detail. The resulting network of minute dots and lines gives the portrait a subtle gradation of tone, allowing the facial features to appear softly illuminated.
History & Provenance
The print was made by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, a French artist active in the United States during the early 1800s. After its creation, the work entered the Corcoran Collection, a significant private assemblage later transferred to the National Gallery of Art. Its presence in this institutional context reflects the print’s role in documenting American portraiture of the period.
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.
