Artwork
Paul Busti
Paul Busti is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1807 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1807, this modestly sized print measures just over five and a half centimeters square.
About this work
Overview
The work belongs to the Corcoran Collection and bears the signature of French-American artist Charles B.
Created in 1807, this modestly sized print measures just over five and a half centimeters square. Executed in black on wove paper that has been mounted to a brown wove backing, it presents a portrait of a gentleman rendered through a combination of mezzotint and engraving. The work belongs to the Corcoran Collection and bears the signature of French-American artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a man dressed in a dark coat, his head turned slightly away from the viewer. His hair is neatly gathered, and the softened contours around his eyes and mouth suggest a contemplative, perhaps introspective, demeanor. The portrait captures a quiet, dignified presence rather than overt expression.
Technique & Style
Saint‑Mémin employed the mezzotint process, a method that allows for rich, velvety gradations of tone rather than crisp line work. By roughening the plate and then smoothing areas to varying degrees, the artist achieved a seamless transition from deep shadows to delicate highlights, giving the face a subtle, luminous quality that is enhanced by the fine engraved details.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during a period when Saint‑Mémin was active in the United States, documenting notable figures of the early republic. It entered the Corcoran Collection, a significant repository of American art, where it remains catalogued as part of the institution’s holdings of early American portraiture.
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.
