Artwork
Elizabeth Porcher Gaillard Stoney
Elizabeth Porcher Gaillard Stoney is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1809 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1809, this portrait of Elizabeth Porcher Gaillard Stoney is executed in mezzotint and engraving on wove paper, later mounted to a brown wove backing. The work measures a modest size and presents the sitter in a refined side profile, rendered entirely in black tones. It is currently held in the Corcoran Collection of the National Gallery of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures Stoney looking directly ahead, her facial features rendered with careful attention to line and shading. The profile format, common in early‑nineteenth‑century portraiture, emphasizes the sitter’s dignity and social standing, offering a quiet, introspective presence rather than narrative detail.
Technique & Style
Combining mezzotint’s tonal richness with the precise line work of engraving, the artist achieves a subtle gradation of light and shadow that softens the portrait’s surface. The dense network of lines builds texture in the hair and clothing, while the mezzotint areas provide a velvety depth that was prized in contemporary printed portraits.
History & Provenance
The print was produced by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, a French artist active in the United States after the Revolution. It entered the Corcoran Collection, later transferred to the National Gallery of Art, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of early American portrait prints.
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.
