Unidentified Female Silhouette

1797

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The image shows a silhouette portrait capturing the profile of a person, displaying only the head and upper torso. The individual is positioned in profile view, facing to the left. The facial features are defined by the outline of the nose, lips, and chin, with the hair styled in an updo adorned by a ribbon or bow at the top and back. The clothing is suggested through the silhouette, with a hint of a collar or bow at the neck giving an impression of formal attire. There are no visible details regarding jewelry or objects held. The background is plain.

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): 6.67 × 4.29 cm (2 5/8 × 1 11/16 in.)
    sheet (trimmed to plate): 6.99 × 6.35 cm (2 3/4 × 2 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.56.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 884

Associated Artworks

See all 9 artworks
Eight portrait silhouettes and engravings are displayed in the image. Each individual is depicted in profile view with their head turned to the side. The top row features five shadow profiles with varying hairstyles, including some with hats or hairpieces. The second row showcases three detailed engraved portraits with different facial features and hairstyles, wearing formal attire. The background is a beige paper with handwritten notes and descriptions below each portrait.

Saint-Mémin Collection, Group 56

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1797

The image shows a silhouette portrait of an individual in profile facing to the right. The person's head and upper shoulders are outlined, with clear features like the nose, lips, and chin. Hair follows the shape of the head, and the attire suggests a high collar or cravat. The silhouette ends just below the shoulders, with no visible jewelry or objects. The background is a plain, light-colored surface that emphasizes the dark silhouette.

Unidentified Male Silhouette

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1797

The image is a silhouette profile portrait of a person's head and shoulders facing left. The silhouette captures the facial features, including the nose, mouth, and chin. The hair is styled up with a decorative accessory, possibly a feather. The dark silhouette contrasts with the light background, emphasizing the head and shoulders' contours. There are no discernible clothing or jewelry details, and the background is plain.

Unidentified Female Silhouette

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1797

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. 761.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, p. 416, no. 884.

Inscriptions

lower center in plate: St. M. &. Vt. No. 27. Pine St. N.Y.

Wikidata ID

Q77262685

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