Artwork
Georges
Georges is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1800, this small mezzotint and engraving by Charles B.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1800, this small mezzotint and engraving by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin measures just 5.56 × 5.56 cm. Executed on wove paper that is mounted to a brown backing, the work presents a finely rendered profile portrait in black ink. It belongs to the Corcoran Collection and exemplifies the artist’s meticulous approach to miniature printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows a solitary male figure turned toward the right, his face rendered in a calm, introspective expression. The profile format, a traditional convention for portraiture, emphasizes the sitter’s features and conveys a sense of quiet dignity without narrative context.
Technique & Style
Saint‑Mémin combined mezzotint’s tonal richness with precise engraving lines to achieve subtle gradations of light and shadow within a very limited surface. The delicate handling of the needle allowed intricate detail to emerge despite the work’s diminutive scale, demonstrating the artist’s command of both tonal and linear effects in black ink.
History & Provenance
The print entered the Corcoran Collection, a major American institution, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of early nineteenth‑century prints. Its attribution to Saint‑Mémin, a noted French‑American portraitist, situates the piece within his broader output of finely executed 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.
