William Peter Van Ness

1807

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 illustration of a person facing to the right. The person has wavy hair, a prominent nose, defined lips, and a strong jawline. They are wearing a formal outfit with a high-collared shirt or garment and a coat. The background is a dark circle with a light-colored border. Below the circle is a strip with the names "Alex Grant" and "Wm. P. Van Ness" written in handwriting.

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): 6.83 × 6.19 cm (2 11/16 × 2 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.46.14

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 900

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image shows the upper body of a man in profile, facing to the right. He has a sharp nose, high forehead, well-defined jawline, pronounced sideburns, and eyes looking straight ahead. The man has wavy hair styled backward, with curls at the top. He is wearing formal attire: a dark coat with a high collar, a ruffled white shirt or cravat, and a visible button on his coat. The background is a simple, circular dark area, contrasting with the lighter tone of the man's profile. Below the circle, the name "Henry Hall" is written in a decorative script.

Henry Hall

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1808

The image features fifteen oval-shaped portraits arranged in a grid format. Each portrait shows a bust view in profile of a different man, facing left. The men have various hairstyles typical of the early 19th century and wear high-collared shirts, cravats, and jackets with different lapel designs. Some wear military uniforms. Each portrait includes a name written in cursive below the image. The background is dark behind each oval portrait, set against a light-colored board framing the collection.

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 46

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1807

The image shows the upper half of a man's body in profile view. The man has a strong facial profile with a prominent nose. His hair is styled in a voluminous, curled manner. He is wearing a dark overcoat with a high collar and wide lapels, over a lighter colored collared shirt. The background is a simple dark circular backdrop. The name "Jonathan Cooper" is written below the image.

Williams Carter

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. 296.

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. 418-419, no. 900.

Inscriptions

lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Alexa. Grant. / Wm. P. Van Ness.

Wikidata ID

Q77262411

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