Artwork
John Winterberry
John Winterberry is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1805, this print by Charles B.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1805, this print by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin depicts a solitary figure rendered in black mezzotint and engraving. The image is executed on wove paper that has been adhered to a brown-wove backing, giving the work a subdued, uniform surface. It belongs to the Corcoran Collection and is catalogued as a single‑sheet print.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a man dressed in a dark coat with a high collar, his profile illuminated from the side, emphasizing the tight line of his mouth and the contours of his face. The plain paper background eliminates any contextual clues, focusing attention on the sitter’s expression and attire, suggesting a portrait intended to convey a restrained, perhaps formal, presence.
Technique & Style
The work combines mezzotint and engraving, a hybrid approach in which the artist first roughened a copper plate to hold ink for deep shadows, then selectively smoothed areas to create lighter tones. Unlike typical mezzotints that progress from dark to light, Saint‑Mémin reversed the process, carving the highlights into the dark ground, resulting in a subtle gradation of tone that accentuates the figure’s three‑dimensionality.
History & Provenance
Printed in the early nineteenth century, the piece entered the Corcoran Collection, a major American art institution, where it has been preserved as part of its print holdings. Its mounting on brown wove paper reflects a common conservation practice of the period, intended to protect the delicate mezzotint surface.
Context
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin was active during the post‑Revolutionary era, a time when portraiture in print form served both documentary and decorative purposes. The use of mezzotint, prized for its rich tonal range, aligned with contemporary tastes for realistic, chiaroscuro‑inflected images that could be reproduced for a wider audience.
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.
