Artwork
Thomas Marshall
Thomas Marshall 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
This oval portrait of Thomas Marshall, executed in mezzotint and engraving on wove paper, presents the subject in profile, facing to the right.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait captures Thomas Marshall, though the work's context does not explicitly convey his significance or the relationship with the artist. It is one of 15 similar portraits, suggesting a documentary or commemorative intent.
Technique & Style
Created using mezzotint and engraving techniques in black ink on wove paper (later mounted on brown wove paper), the portrait reflects the artist's use of traditional printmaking methods to achieve detailed, high-contrast images, characteristic of late 18th to early 19th-century portraitures.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin, the portrait is now in the public domain, indicating its age and the expiration of copyright. Original commissioning context and early ownership are not specified.
Context
Part of a series of 15 similar oval portraits, this work indicates the artist's practice of producing multiple, potentially commissioned, portraits using the same format and techniques.
Legacy
As a public domain work, the portrait of Thomas Marshall is freely accessible and used for historical and educational purposes, contributing to the visual record of individuals from the era.
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.
