Lewis Salles

1801

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The portrait depicts a man in profile from the shoulders up. The man has detailed features, including a prominent nose and curly white or gray hair styled in a voluminous 18th-century fashion. He is wearing a high-collared shirt or cravat and a dark coat with large buttons. The background is a shaded circle around the bust, with textured appearance. Hand-drawn text below reads "Lewis Salles," and surrounding the portrait are the words "Drawn & engd by S. Menton Philad." indicating the artist and location of the engraving.

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

    2015.19.1584.19.10

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 728

  • Series Title

    Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image shows a woman in profile from the shoulders up. She is facing to the right, with her head turned slightly in that direction. Her facial features include a pronounced nose and lips, and she has curly hair styled up and adorned with a headband or ribbon. She is wearing a high-collared dress with a gathered or pleated design on the front. Around her neck is a simple strand of pearls. The background is a dark circular area that sharply contrasts with the lighter foreground. There is handwriting below the portrait.

Catherine D. Dutilh

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1801

The image shows 12 engraved profiles displayed in a grid layout. Each profile depicts the upper body of a person, from head to shoulders, facing mostly to the side. The individuals wear late 18th to early 19th-century attire, with varying hairstyles and clothing styles. Men have a range of hairstyles, from short to tied back, without visible facial hair, wearing open jackets with high collars and cravats. Women have decorated hairstyles and some show their necks and upper garments, with one wearing a shoulderless dress. There is no jewelry or objects visible in the portraits. Each portrait is set in a circular vignette on a monochrome background, with handwritten names underneath. The grid layout has a historic aesthetic with sepia-toned coloration.

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 19

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1801

The image displays an engraved portrait of a man in profile facing left. He has distinct facial features, including a pronounced nose and strong jawline, with short curled hair tied at the back. The man wears a high-collared jacket with two buttons and a cravat around his neck. The background features a dark circular frame against a lighter engraved surface, with the name "Etienne Duthil" written below the portrait.

Stephen Dutilh

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1801

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. 253.

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. 385, no. 728.

Inscriptions

lower center in plate: Drawn & engrd. by St. Memin Philada.; lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Lewis Salles.

Wikidata ID

Q77261583

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