Artwork
Unidentified Man
Unidentified Man is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Charles B.
About this work
Overview
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint‑Mémin’s print titled “Unidentified Man” is a black mezzotint and engraving executed on wove paper, later mounted on a brown‑toned sheet. Dated to the turn of the nineteenth century, the work measures only a few inches in diameter and presents a solitary figure in profile.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows a male sitter shown from the side, displaying his head and upper torso. He is dressed in a dark coat complemented by a light‑colored cravat, suggesting a formal yet modest attire typical of the period. No identifying attributes are provided, leaving the figure’s identity and purpose ambiguous.
Technique & Style
Saint‑Mémin combined mezzotint’s tonal richness with fine engraving lines to render the subtle gradations of light on the subject’s features and clothing. The circular format, known as a “tondo,” was a favored compositional choice for intimate portrait studies, allowing a concentrated focus on the sitter’s profile.
History & Provenance
Created around 1800, the print belongs to a series of small circular portraits that the artist produced, likely as studies or for private circulation. The work is now part of the museum’s collection, having entered through acquisition from a private dealer in the early twentieth century.
Context
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, French artists such as Saint‑Mémin explored mezzotint for its capacity to mimic the depth of oil painting in a reproducible format. The use of a profile view harkens back to classical portrait conventions, while the modest dress reflects contemporary bourgeois sensibilities.
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.
