Charles Taylor

The composition depicts a gentleman turned slightly toward the left, his profile defined by a high‑collared coat adorned with delicate button detailing. The restrained pose and muted tonal range suggest a focus on the sitter’s dignified bearing rather than narrative content, typical of portraiture intended for private circulation in the late eighteenth century.

The image combines mezzotint and engraving processes. Mezzotint, achieved by roughening a copper plate with countless tiny pits, yields deep, velvety shadows, while the engraved lines provide crisp definition of facial features and attire. The result is a smooth‑finished surface where gradations of black convey a subtle three‑dimensionality within the limited scale.

Attributed to Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, a French artist active in the United States after the Revolution, the print entered the Corcoran Collection before being transferred to the National Gallery of Art. Its provenance traces a path from private ownership in the early nineteenth century to institutional care, ensuring its preservation.

Produced at the close of the eighteenth century, the work reflects the transatlantic exchange of artistic techniques, particularly the popularity of mezzotint among portrait printmakers. Saint‑Mémin, known for his portraits of American elites, employed this medium to achieve a level of tonal richness that complemented the genteel aesthetic of the period’s portraiture.