Artwork
John Graham
John Graham 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. Created in 1808, this small print measures just under six centimeters on each side.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1808, this small print measures just under six centimeters on each side. It depicts the likeness of John Graham rendered in delicate shades of gray. The work is executed as a mezzotint combined with engraving, using black ink on wove paper that has been mounted to a brown backing. It belongs to the Corcoran Collection and is on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Technique & Style
Engraving lines were added to define details such as Graham’s cravat, which appears as a network of fine strokes rather than a solid form.
The artist employed the mezzotint process, which involves roughening a copper plate to hold ink and then smoothing areas to produce tonal gradations from deep black to subtle light. Engraving lines were added to define details such as Graham’s cravat, which appears as a network of fine strokes rather than a solid form. The result is a smooth rendering of the sitter’s skin set against an almost uniformly dark background.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents John Graham with a restrained, contemplative expression, his features softened by the mezzotint’s tonal range. The absence of elaborate background elements directs focus to the sitter’s face and attire, suggesting an emphasis on personal identity rather than narrative context. The tangled depiction of the cravat adds a textural contrast that underscores the print’s delicate handling of line and shade.
History & Provenance
Executed by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, a French artist active in the early nineteenth century, the print entered the Corcoran Collection, a significant assemblage of American art. It later became part of the National Gallery of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as an example of early American portrait printmaking and the cross‑Atlantic exchange of mezzotint techniques.
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.
