Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 1

1796-1797

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The image depicts sixteen circular portraits of historical figures arranged in rows and columns. Each portrait shows a head-and-shoulders view of the subjects in profile, facing left or right. The subjects are depicted with detailed facial features, expressions, and hairstyles indicative of different historical periods. The men typically have styled, powdered wigs or tied back hair, while the women have coiffed hairstyles, some adorned with hats or ribbons. They are dressed in period-appropriate clothing like high-collared jackets and elaborate dresses. The portraits have plain backgrounds, and names are written underneath each image for identification. The overall presentation is organized and harmonious.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    fifteen engravings with roulette mounted to brown wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)

  • Dimensions

    image (overall): 23.97 × 34.13 cm (9 7/16 × 13 7/16 in.)
    mount: 29.21 × 40.64 cm (11 1/2 × 16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.1.1-15

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image depicts a profile portrait of a man with distinguished facial features. He is facing to the right, with his hair styled back and tied with a ribbon. The man is wearing a formal coat with a high collar and a shirt with a ruffled ascot or cravat. There are no visible signs of jewelry or objects in his hands. The background is simple and shaded, with a textured surface. At the bottom, there is handwritten text that appears to be a signature or attribution, along with a name in decorative script.

Bénigne-Charles Févret de Saint-Mémin

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1796

This is a portrait of a man in profile. He has a prominent nose and strong chin, with short wavy hair. He is wearing a high-collared coat and a cravat around his neck. The background is simple and circular. The image is in an antique, monochromatic style.

Charles de Lagarenne

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1796

The image features a portrait of a man in profile facing to the right. The man has a sharp nose, defined facial features, formal wavy hair tied with a ribbon, and is dressed in period formalwear. The background is shaded in a circular shape, with the text "Chancellor Livingston Robert R." written on a darker band at the bottom. An artist's note credits Valnais for the drawing and St. Memin for the engraving in New York.

Robert R. Livingston

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1796


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

1940

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

Inscriptions

upper right mount in black ink by unknown hand: 1


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