Esperanza, Courthouse

1795

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

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

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The image shows a detailed line drawing of a courthouse. The building is central in the composition, with a flag on the cupola. Cumulus clouds fill the sky, contrasting with the hatched sky. The horizon is low, above trees on the right and a fenced area on the left. The drawing displays architectural details using fine lines to depict textures and light. The palette is primarily black and white, creating a historic aesthetic.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and engraving on laid paper mounted to brown wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)

  • Dimensions

    image: 7.14 × 11.11 cm (2 13/16 × 4 3/8 in.)
    sheet: 8.57 × 12.38 cm (3 3/8 × 4 7/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.57.4

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 980c

Associated Artworks

See all 9 artworks
The image is a black and white engraving or etching of a historical building labeled as "City Tavern." The building is depicted from a slightly elevated point of view, showing details such as the two-story structure made of brick, numerous windows, and a porch. There is a sky with clouds in the background. Close to us are steps leading up to the porch, while another building is seen in the distance to the left. A fence or enclosure is visible to the right, adding depth to the scene. The color palette is monochromatic, emphasizing the detailed line work and architectural features.

Esperanza, City Tavern

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1795

The image displays eight individual engravings arranged symmetrically on a single page. The top left engraving shows a City Tavern, a large two-story building with classical architectural features. To the right is a central vignette of a landscape with intricate foliage framing an empty center and a small stone bridge below. The top right engraving depicts a market scene with several buildings and a prominent arched structure in the center. In the middle left is an engraving labeled "Court-house" featuring a grand building with a detailed cupola set in a pastoral scene. The central engraving is a circular portrait of a woman and child. The middle right displays an architectural image labeled "Church" with a neoclassical building, columns, and surrounding structures under a cloudy sky. The bottom left engraving shows a smaller building with high boundary walls. Below, a colored landscape, labeled "Vue de Ticonderoga sur le Lac Champlain," illustrates a serene scene of a lake and hills with vibrant foliage. At the bottom right is a landscape with trees on the horizon and gently sloping hills in black and white with fine linework. The engravings are primarily monochromatic, except for the colored landscape which features greens, blues, and earth tones.

Saint-Mémin Collection, Group 57

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1794

The image shows a landscape view created in a detailed line drawing. In the center is an arched stone bridge over a body of water. Beyond the bridge, there are softly outlined distant vegetation. The image features detailed etchings for foliage, with leafy trees and plants bordering the edges. The color scheme is monochrome with dark lines against a light background.

Trade Card of Pierre Mourgeon

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

1942

  • Norfleet, Fillmore. Saint-Mémin in Virginia: Portraits and Biographies. Richmond, Virginia: The Dietz Press, 1942, p. 13.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, pp. 436-437, no. 980c.

Inscriptions

lower center in graphite by unknown hand: Court-house.

Wikidata ID

Q77262709

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