Artwork
William Brown
William Brown is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1798 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Charles B.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center in plate: St. Memin No. 27 Pine St. N. York; lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Dr. Brown.
About this work
Mezzotint lets artists carve deep blacks that fade to light, here the ink does the work.
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.
Overview
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin's 1798 print 'William Brown' is a small, intricately detailed mezzotint and engraving on wove paper, measuring 5.56 × 5.56 cm. It is now part of the Corcoran Collection.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a man's face in three-quarter view, with softly melting shadows around the cheek and jawline, leveraging mezzotint's ability to convey deep blacks transitioning to light.
Technique & Style
Saint-Mémin utilized mezzotint to achieve rich, velvety tones, a departure from his initial pencil sketches. A distinctive square dot in the corner signifies a hallmark of his printmaking technique.
History & Provenance
Created during Saint-Mémin's sketching tour in America, this work was unusual for its time due to the rarity of Saint-Mémin's prints in 18th-century America, originating from his French background.
Context
Saint-Mémin's method involved initially sketching in pencil before translating his work to metal plates for printing, adapting his approach to harness the expressive qualities of mezzotint and engraving.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
