Artwork
Kiliaen Kiliaen Van Rensselaer
Kiliaen Kiliaen Van Rensselaer 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.
About this work
The artist used a tool called a rocker to carve the shadows, making the image pop from the page.
This oval engraving shows a man in a dark coat, his face lit from the left. His expression is calm but sharp, like he’s judging something off-screen. The paper feels smooth under your fingers, but the ink sits deep in the tiny grooves.
Van Rensselaer was a Dutch landowner who moved to New York in 1630. This portrait was done 175 years later, when his family still held power. The artist used a tool called a rocker to carve the shadows, making the image pop from the page.
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Overview
This portrait is a small, intricately detailed print of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, created using a combination of mezzotint and engraving techniques.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a Dutch landowner who settled in New York in 1630. The portrait was made 175 years later, during a time when his family remained influential.
Technique & Style
The print is an oval engraving featuring a man in a dark coat with his face lit from the left. Mezzotint and engraving techniques were used to achieve a high level of detail, with the artist employing a rocker to create textured shadows.
History & Provenance
The portrait was created in 1805 by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin, using multiple printmaking techniques including mezzotint, line engraving, and stipple.
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.
