Artwork
Charles Stewart
Charles Stewart is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1802 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1802 by the French engraver Charles B.
About this work
Overview
The image measures just over five and a half centimeters in both height and width, emphasizing the artist’s capacity for fine detail within a miniature scale.
Created in 1802 by the French engraver Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, this intimate portrait depicts Charles Stewart in a tightly focused, head‑and‑shoulders format. The image measures just over five and a half centimeters in both height and width, emphasizing the artist’s capacity for fine detail within a miniature scale. It belongs to the Saint‑Mémin Collection of Portraits, a grouping of his likenesses rendered in print.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents Charles Stewart, a figure whose identity is recorded solely through this visual record. The close‑up treatment isolates his facial features, allowing viewers to examine his expression and attire without contextual background, a common approach in early‑19th‑century portraiture intended to convey personal presence rather than narrative.
Technique & Style
Executed as a mezzotint and engraving in black ink, the image was printed on wove paper and later mounted onto a brown‑toned wove support. The mezzotint process, known for its rich tonal gradations, combined with the line work of engraving, yields a nuanced surface that captures subtle shading and fine lines despite the work’s diminutive size.
History & Provenance
Since its production, the print has remained within the Saint‑Mémin Collection of Portraits, a curated assemblage of the artist’s portraiture. Its preservation on mounted paper suggests careful handling over two centuries, allowing contemporary audiences to observe the piece in a condition close to its original presentation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (French pronunciation: ; 1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director.
