Simmons
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1806
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1806
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This tiny print shows a man’s head in profile, carved in soft blacks. The lines are smooth but sharp where they fade to shadow. It’s only five inches wide, yet the details still pop. Mezzotint was a tricky trick back then. The artist scratched a metal plate, then polished it smooth except where the image stays dark. That method made prints look almost like paintings. This one is rare because it’s so small. See how the light catches the cheekbone? Look up Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de to watch how he turned tiny lines into real faces.
