Artwork
John Clarke
John Clarke is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Charles B.
About this work
Overview
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑MÉmin’s portrait of John Clarke is a diminutive print measuring roughly 5.6 cm square. Executed in 1808, the work combines mezzotint and engraving on wove paper that has been mounted to a brown backing. The image presents Clarke in strict profile, his hair neatly arranged and his high‑collared attire reflecting contemporary fashion.
Technique & Style
The result is a finely detailed, high‑contrast portrait despite its small scale.
The mezzotint process began with a uniformly roughened copper plate; Saint‑MÉmin then burnished selected areas to create lighter tones, leaving the surrounding texture to hold ink for deep shadows. Engraving lines were added to define facial features and the collar, producing a crisp, linear quality that balances the soft tonal gradations typical of mezzotint. The result is a finely detailed, high‑contrast portrait despite its small scale.
History & Provenance
Created in the early nineteenth century, the print entered the Corcoran Collection, which later became part of the National Gallery of Art’s holdings. Its inclusion in this public collection ensures continued scholarly access and preservation, linking the work to the broader narrative of American portraiture in the post‑Revolutionary period.
Context
Portraits in profile were a common convention in the early 1800s, echoing neoclassical ideals of dignity and restraint. Saint‑MÉmin, a French émigré active in the United States, applied his European training to American subjects, bridging transatlantic artistic practices during a time of expanding cultural exchange.
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.
