Artwork
M. David Hume
M. David Hume is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Simon Charles Miger. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Simon Charles Miger’s 1764 engraving presents a portrait of the Scottish philosopher M. David Hume. Executed on laid paper in its first state, the print measures the conventions of mid‑eighteenth‑century portraiture, employing a restrained black‑and‑white palette and a circular frame that isolates the sitter’s face.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures Hume with tightly curled hair and a composed, serious expression, suggesting intellectual gravitas. Below the portrait, his name is inscribed, reinforcing the work’s function as a recognizable likeness for contemporary audiences.
Technique & Style
Miger’s line work relies on delicate, intersecting strokes and cross‑hatching to model facial features and convey volume. The engraving’s crisp edges and subtle tonal gradations exemplify the precise, labor‑intensive methods typical of eighteenth‑century intaglio portrait prints.
Context
Produced during the Enlightenment, the portrait aligns with a broader trend of disseminating images of leading thinkers through affordable prints, allowing Hume’s likeness to circulate among scholars and the educated public.
Artist & collection
