Charles Sterett

1804

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

This image shows a portrait of a man visible from the shoulders up, positioned in profile facing to the right. His hair is styled in short waves, with a defined set of curls at the top, leaving his forehead unobstructed. His facial features include a pronounced nose, strong jawline, and subtle cheekbones, and he is clean-shaven. The man is dressed in formal clothing, wearing a dark jacket with a high collar and a white cravat tied around the neck. There are no visible accessories or items that the man is holding. The background is a plain, neutral color, which contrasts with and highlights the detailed features of the subject. The circular framing of the portrait, along with the sepia tone, gives the image a classic, timeless feel.

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

    2015.19.1584.28.8

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 788

  • Series Title

    Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image is a head and shoulders profile portrait of a man facing to the right. He has styled hair with waves and curls swept back, sharp facial features, including a prominent nose, defined lips, and sideburns. He is wearing a high-collared garment with a cravat. The man's coat has high collar and lapels. The background is a simple, solid dark tone. Below the image, the name "Lewis Smith" is handwritten against a plain, lighter background.

Louis Buchanan Smith

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1804

The image is a grid of fifteen small portrait illustrations. Each portrait features a man in profile facing left. The men have distinct features and wear formal attire typical of the late 18th to early 19th century. A handwritten name is beneath each portrait. The background is a plain neutral tone.

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 28

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1804

The image shows a portrait of a man from the shoulders up in a side profile view, facing to the right. The man's head is slightly tilted upwards and his expression is neutral. He has smooth, cropped hair that is combed back from his forehead, revealing a receding hairline. His facial features include a prominent nose and an angular jawline. He is dressed in formal attire, featuring a high-collared white shirt, possibly a cravat or tie, and a dark, tailored coat with a visible lapel. The image is a monochromatic drawing or etching, with a circular vignette framing the portrait, leaving the background as a simple gray circle. Below the image, there is a handwritten inscription, "John Hollins."

John Hollins

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1804

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. 346.

1940

  • Catalogue of Engraved Portraits by Favret de Saint Memin, 1770-1852. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1940, p. 17.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, p. 399, no. 788.

Inscriptions

lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Chs. Sterett.

Wikidata ID

Q77261830

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