Samuel Purviance Walker

1803

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

Associated Names
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The image displays a side profile of a man's head and upper shoulders. He has a prominent nose, defined cheek, deep-set eyes, and curly, voluminous hair styled outward. He wears an elegant coat with a high collar, buttons, and a cravat or scarf. The background is a plain, dark circular space. The name "Walter" is written in cursive below the portrait.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    mezzotint and engraving in black on wove paper mounted to brown wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)

  • Dimensions

    image (irregular): 5.72 × 5.72 cm (2 1/4 × 2 1/4 in.)
    sheet (trimmed to plate): 6.67 × 6.19 cm (2 5/8 × 2 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.27.4

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 915

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image shows a profile view of a man from the waist up. He is positioned sideways facing to the right. The man's facial features include a prominent nose, a firm chin, and sideburns, with curly hair that is short and appears to be neatly styled. He is wearing a dark jacket with wide lapels and a white cravat wrapped around his neck. There is no jewelry visible on him, and he is not holding any objects. The background is a plain, round frame with an off-white border outside the frame, where the name "Winwood Osning" is handwritten at the bottom.

Isaac Van Bibber

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1798

Fifteen oval portraits are arranged in a grid pattern. Each portrait shows a man in a side profile view, with only the head and part of the upper torso visible. The men are posed in a consistent manner, with those in the first three columns facing right and those in the last column facing left. The men have varying facial features, with some having pronounced noses, defined chins, and curly or wavy hair styled upwards. They are depicted wearing high-collared coats and cravats, reflecting formal attire from the late 18th to early 19th century. Each portrait is accompanied by the individual's name written in cursive script below it. The background consists of plain circles, emphasizing the figures. The overall composition is set on a page with a tan colored paper backdrop, creating the impression of an organized collection of engraved or lithographed portraits.

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 27

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1803

The image shows the upper half of a man's torso in profile, facing to the right. The man is depicted sitting or standing upright, with his head turned slightly towards his right shoulder. He has neatly styled hair with a wave, sideburns, a distinct nose, and a firm chin. He is wearing a coat with button details over a high-collared shirt with a cravat. The background is plain gray, and at the bottom are the handwritten words "Richard Brent" and the signature "R. Breed."

Richard Brent

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1803

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

the artist, Dijon, France; Léon Victor Raoul Leclerc, Vicomte de Juigné (the artist's nephew), Dijon, France, 1852; (Henry Stevens, London, England, c. 1859); William W. Corcoran, Washington, DC, c. 1874; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1875; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Bibliography

1862

  • Dexter, Elias. The St. Memin Collection of Portraits; Consisting of Seven Hundred and Sixty Medallion Portraits, Principally of Distinguished Americans. Elias Dexter: New York, 1862, no. 367.

1940

  • Catalogue of Engraved Portraits by Favret de Saint Memin, 1770-1852. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1940, p. 18.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, pp. 421-422, no. 915.

Inscriptions

lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Walter.

Wikidata ID

Q77016229

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