Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 27

1803-1804

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

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.

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

    2015.19.1584.27.1-15

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

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

The image shows a profile portrait of a man from the shoulders up. The man faces to the right with a straight posture, having pronounced facial features such as a prominent nose, distinctive cheekbones, and defined lips. His hair is styled in voluminous curls, swept backward, and cut around the ears. He wears a dark, high-collared coat with visible buttons and a white cravat around his neck. The background is a dark circular area with a lighter textured surface and the name "Thorndyke" written in cursive below.

Thorndyke

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

Exhibition History

2016

  • Three Centuries of American Prints: from the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington; National Gallery in Prague, Prague 1; Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, 2016 - 2017, unnumbered catalogue.

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: 27

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