Artwork
Thomas Tingey
Thomas Tingey is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1806 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
He’s dressed in a fancy navy uniform with big shoulder pieces.
This portrait shows Thomas Tingey in 1806. He’s dressed in a fancy navy uniform with big shoulder pieces. The background is plain so your eye stays on his face.
The artist used a special print method called mezzotint. It lets him create soft shadows and smooth shifts in tone. That’s why the uniform looks so rich and real.
It feels like you’re standing right there with him. Check out more engravings by Saint-Mémin, Charles B. J. Févret de.
Overview
This 1806 print presents Thomas Tingey, a senior officer of the early United States Navy, in a side‑view portrait. Executed in black on wove paper and later mounted to a brown‑toned sheet, the image is framed by a modest circular border that keeps the focus on the sitter’s dignified bearing.
Subject & Meaning
Tingey is shown in full naval dress, his uniform distinguished by prominent epaulettes and a crisp white cravat. The careful rendering of his attire underscores his rank and the professional stature he held within the fledgling American fleet, while the plain background suggests an emphasis on personal character over narrative context.
Technique & Style
The work combines mezzotint and engraving, a printmaking process that allows for subtle gradations of tone and deep, velvety shadows. This method gives the fabric of the uniform a tactile richness and renders the facial features with a smooth, almost photographic clarity uncommon in early nineteenth‑century portrait prints.
History & Provenance
Created by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin, a French artist who settled in the United States after the Revolution, the portrait reflects his interest in documenting prominent American figures. The piece has remained in institutional collections, illustrating the cross‑Atlantic artistic exchange of the period.
Context
The portrait belongs to a series of mezzotint portraits Saint‑Mémin produced of notable American leaders during the early 1800s. These works served both as personal commemorations and as visual records of the emerging nation’s leadership, contributing to a visual culture that celebrated civic and military achievement.
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.
