Artwork
Robert Gamble, Jr.
Robert Gamble, 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.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1808, this black‑and‑white mezzotint and engraving portrays Robert Gamble, Jr. in a side‑view composition. The image is mounted on wove paper, presenting a finely rendered profile that emphasizes the subject’s facial features and attire.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures Gamble’s likeness in profile, highlighting the contours of his nose, jaw, ear, and the curl of his hair. Such a depiction offers a visual record of early‑19th‑century male fashion and grooming, providing insight into contemporary standards of appearance.
Technique & Style
Executed in mezzotint combined with engraving, the print employs delicate tonal gradations and precise line work to model form and texture. The artist’s careful attention to detail renders the subject’s facial structure and clothing with clarity, characteristic of Saint‑Mémin’s portraiture.
History & Provenance
The print was produced by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑MÉmin, a French artist known for his portrait prints of American figures. It is presently part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, where it is catalogued as a representation of early American portraiture.
Context
Saint‑MÉmin’s work emerged during a period when printed portraiture served both as a means of personal commemoration and as a way to disseminate images of notable individuals across the Atlantic. The profile format aligns with neoclassical conventions popular in the early 1800s.
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.
