Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1798
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
William Brown is a 1798 ink by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This tiny print shows a man’s face in three-quarter view. The shadows melt softly around his cheek and jawline. Mezzotint lets artists carve deep blacks that fade to light—here the ink does the work. Saint-Mémins were rare in America in 1798. He came from France on a sketching tour, making crisp portraits in pencil. Then he flipped the method to metal plates that printed rich, velvety tones. Look for the square dot in the corner. Check Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de.
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
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