Artwork
William Thornton
William Thornton is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. It dates from 1804 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This 1804 mezzotint and engraving on wove paper, measuring 7.
About this work
Overview
This 1804 mezzotint and engraving on wove paper, measuring 7.46 × 6.03 cm, portrays William Thornton. It is housed in both the Corcoran Collection and the Library of Congress's Marian S. Carson collection.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, William Thornton, is depicted wearing a dark coat with a high white collar against a dark background. His face, rendered in sharp lines with subtle, soft lighting, conveys a sense of depth and character.
Technique & Style
The artwork combines mezzotint and engraving techniques. Fine lines were engraved into a metal plate, which was then inked. Strategic use of a burnisher smoothed select lines, creating gentle shadows that impart a near three-dimensional quality to Thornton’s features, characteristic of the popular mezzotint portrait style of the early 19th century.
History & Provenance
Created in 1804 by Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin, the print is part of two notable collections: the Corcoran Collection and the Library of Congress's Marian S. Carson collection.
Context
The piece reflects the early 19th-century preference for mezzotint in portraitures, valued for its ability to capture nuanced, detailed likenesses.
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.
