Artwork
Hazlehurst
Hazlehurst is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1803 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1803 by the French artist Charles B.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1803 by the French artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, this mezzotint and engraving presents a miniature portrait of Robert Hazlehurst. Executed in black on wove paper that has been mounted to a brown wove backing, the work measures just 5.56 by 5.56 centimetres, a size that accentuates the precision of its rendering.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts Hazlehurst in a formal dark coat with a high, stiff collar and a conspicuous white cravat that frames his face. Set against a richly textured dark field, the composition isolates the sitter, emphasizing his status and the solemnity typical of early‑19th‑century portraiture.
Technique & Style
The piece combines mezzotint’s tonal richness with the linear clarity of engraving, both applied in black ink. The artist achieved subtle gradations of light on the fabric and facial features while preserving the crispness of the cravat’s folds, demonstrating the high level of skill required for such a small format.
History & Provenance
Commissioned in the early Napoleonic era, the portrait reflects the cross‑national networks of portraiture between Britain and France. It remains documented as a work by Saint‑Mémin, whose prints were widely circulated among the educated elite, and it has been preserved in museum collections as an example of early 19th‑century printmaking.
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.
