Van Ness

1808

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

This is a portrait illustration of a man's upper body, shown in side profile from the chest upwards. The man is depicted in an upright position, with his head turned towards the right side of the image. He has distinct facial features, including a noticeable nose and strong jawline, with a neutral expression. His hair is styled in a wavy and voluminous manner, swept back from his forehead. He is dressed in a high-collared shirt and a dark coat. The background consists of a plain, circular design with dark shading behind the man's head. The image is set against a beige background with the inscription "Van Ness" 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 × 5.56 cm (2 1/4 × 2 3/16 in.)
    sheet (trimmed to plate): 6.83 × 6.19 cm (2 11/16 × 2 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.40.2

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 898

  • Series Title

    Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image depicts a historical portrait of a man in profile, facing to the right. He is sitting down with his head turned to the side, displaying his nose, chin, closed lips, and neat, wavy hair with short sideburns. The man wears a high-collared coat over a white shirt with a cravat or tied neckerchief typical of 19th-century fashion. The background is a simple, dark circle and the image has an engraved or illustrative style. Below the portrait is the inscription "Overton Anderson".

Overton Anderson

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1808

There are 15 oval portraits arranged in a grid of three rows and five columns. Each portrait depicts a male figure shown from the chest up in profile, facing left or right. The men have distinct facial features and varying hairstyles. They are all dressed in formal 18th to early 19th-century attire. The portraits are labeled with names underneath each oval. The background within the ovals is dark, set against a beige backdrop encompassing the entire grid.

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 40

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1805

The image is a head and shoulders portrait of a man in profile, facing to the right. The man has a prominent nose, a composed mouth, short curly hair with a small tied tail at the back. He wears a dark coat over a light-colored, ruffled shirt. The background has a simple, circular design with a textured appearance. Below the circle is the signature "J. Brown" on plain paper.

James Brown, Sr.

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1808

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. 597.

1940

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

1942

  • Norfleet, Fillmore. Saint-Mémin in Virginia: Portraits and Biographies. Richmond, Virginia: The Dietz Press, 1942, p. 217.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, p. 418, no. 898.

Inscriptions

lower left in plate: S.M.; lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Van Ness.

Wikidata ID

Q77262185

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