Artwork
Simeon Baldwin
Simeon Baldwin 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 by Charles B.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1807 by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, this small print measures just over five and a half centimeters square. Executed in black on wove paper, the work combines mezzotint and engraving techniques and is catalogued within the Corcoran Collection. Its compact size and monochrome palette focus attention on the sitter’s facial features.
Technique & Style
The artist employed mezzotint to achieve a subtle gradation of tone, allowing shadows to dissolve into soft transitions, while fine engraving lines define the cheekbones and hair. This dual approach produces a delicate balance between depth and definition, characteristic of early‑19th‑century printmaking that sought to render lifelike portraiture without colour.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a three‑quarter view of a male sitter, his gaze directed slightly off‑center, lending an informal, almost candid quality. The slight misalignment of one pupil introduces a humanizing imperfection, suggesting a portrait intended to capture the individual’s presence rather than an idealized likeness.
History & Provenance
The print entered the Corcoran Collection, a repository known for its holdings of early American and European prints. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s own output of portrait prints, which were widely circulated among patrons seeking affordable representations of notable figures in the post‑revolutionary era.
Context
Saint‑Mémin, a French émigré active in the United States after the Revolution, specialized in portrait mezzotints that catered to a growing American market for personal likenesses. This work reflects the transatlantic exchange of artistic techniques and the demand for portable, reproducible images of prominent individuals during the early Republic.
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.
