Samuel Purviance Walker
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1803
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1803
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows Samuel Purviance Walker sitting straight in a dark coat. His face is lit sharply from the side, like a spotlight. Mezzotint was new in America then. Saint-Mémin used a rocked metal plate to create soft shadows that fade into light. See how he carved the background with tiny lines. Try looking up Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de.
