Artwork
John McDaniel
John McDaniel is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1806 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1806 by French artist Charles B.
About this work
The copper plate was roughened everywhere, then scraped smooth in places to catch the ink.
This small 1806 print shows John McDaniel’s face turned slightly left. His high collar and neat hair suggest early 19th-century style. Light falls on his cheek, while the rest stays shaded.
Saint-Mémin used a printing trick called mezzotint. The copper plate was roughened everywhere, then scraped smooth in places to catch the ink. That gives this tiny image its soft glow.
It’s one of just a few hundred prints Saint-Mémin made this way. Look for it at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Overview
Created in 1806 by French artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, this diminutive print measures just 5.72 by 5.56 cm. Executed in black mezzotint and engraving on wove paper that has been mounted to a brown‑toned backing, the work records the likeness of John McDaniel, a gentleman of the early nineteenth‑century.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents McDaniel in three‑quarter view, his head turned slightly to the left. A high‑collared shirt and neatly arranged hair place him within contemporary fashion, while a subtle illumination on his cheek contrasts with deeper shadows, suggesting a quiet, introspective presence.
Technique & Style
Saint‑Mémin employed the mezzotint process, initially roughening the copper plate to hold ink uniformly. He then scraped and burnished selective areas to create lighter tones, producing the characteristic soft gradations and luminous quality of the image. Engraving lines augment the detail, especially around the facial features and attire.
History & Provenance
The print belongs to a limited series of a few hundred mezzotints that Saint‑Mémin produced during his American sojourn. After changing hands among private collectors, it entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is currently held.
Context
Saint‑Mémin’s American period (1794‑1807) yielded numerous portrait prints of notable figures, reflecting both his technical innovation and the demand for affordable likenesses. This portrait of McDaniel exemplifies the artist’s adaptation of European print techniques to the emerging market for personal portraiture in the United States.
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.
