Nathan Read

1800

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The image is a profile portrait of a man identified as Judge Nath. He is shown in a left-facing profile, with facial features including a prominent nose and a strong jawline, deep-set eyes, and styled hair in a classic 18th-century manner. He wears a dark coat with large round buttons and a high-collared cravat visible under his chin. The background is a plain, dark circle within a lighter border, with inscriptions above and below the image including the artist's attribution and the subject's name.

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): 5.56 × 5.56 cm (2 3/16 × 2 3/16 in.)
    sheet (trimmed to plate): 6.67 × 6.19 cm (2 5/8 × 2 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.17.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 686

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image shows a collection of twelve portraits arranged in a grid of three rows and four columns. Each portrait features an individual in profile, displaying only their head and upper torso. The individuals have different facial features and hairstyles. They are dressed formally, with some wearing coats and cravats and one person wearing an elaborate bonnet and lace-trimmed clothing. The background of each portrait is a plain circular space, and names are inscribed below each image on a neutral-tinted board.

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 17

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1800

The image features a profile portrait showing the upper body of a person. The person is seated or standing, facing left, showcasing a side view of the facial profile with well-defined features including a prominent nose and a pronounced eye. The individual has curly hair that appears short and well-groomed. They are dressed in a formal, dark coat with a high collar and a visible button near the shoulder. A cravat or neckerchief is neatly tied around the neck. There is no visible jewelry or objects being held. The background consists of a simple circular shaded area contrasting with the lighter textured surface surrounding the portrait. No additional details or figures are present in the background.

John Dorsey

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1800

The image shows a profile engraving of a man, displaying his upper body from the shoulders up. He is seated or positioned in a way that showcases a side view of his face. The man has detailed facial features with curly hair that appears voluminous and styled with a ribbon at the back. He is wearing a dark coat with a high collar, over a white shirt with ruffles at the neck. The coat has a large round button visible. There is no visible jewelry or objects he is holding. The background of the image is a simple dark circle that contrasts with the lighter foreground, and the engraving is signed by S. Memin below the image and labeled with the name "Andw Hazlehurst."

Andrew Purviance Hazlehurst

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1800

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. 439.

1940

  • Catalogue of Engraved Portraits by Favret de Saint Memin, 1770-1852. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1940, p. 16.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, p. 377, no. 686.

Inscriptions

lower center in plate: Drawn & engrd. by St. Memin Philadela.; lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Judge N.athan. Read.

Wikidata ID

Q77261504

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