Artwork
Nicholas Cabell, Jr.
Nicholas Cabell, Jr. 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. This 1808 mezzotint and engraving portrait, created by Charles B.
About this work
Overview
This 1808 mezzotint and engraving portrait, created by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin, depicts Nicholas Cabell, Jr. in a left-facing profile on black ink on wove paper, mounted on brown wove paper.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Nicholas Cabell, Jr., is characterized by a prominent nose and high forehead, emphasized through the profile view—a conventional yet effective technique of the time for highlighting facial features.
Technique & Style
The portrait combines mezzotint and engraving techniques, typical of Saint-Mémin's work, to achieve detailed, expressive line work and tonal depth in black ink.
History & Provenance
The piece is part of the Corcoran Collection, indicating its historical and artistic significance within the collection's holdings.
Context
Created in 1808, the portrait reflects the early 19th-century preference for profile views in portraiture, which balanced formality with the ability to capture distinctive facial characteristics.
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.
