Thomas Price
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1809
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1809
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a man’s face in close detail, light on his left cheek, dark on the right. His coat collar has fine lines that catch the light. The artist used a special print method called mezzotint to make the shadows smooth and the bright spots crisp. Mezzotint lets artists create soft gradations without cross-hatching. Saint-Mémin trained in Paris before moving to America. He made many portraits this way, copying paintings onto metal plates. Look for another print by Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de.
