Artist/Maker

Saint-Memin, Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de

Place Made

Date Made

1805

Medium

charcoal –paper –eglomise

Dimensions

HOA: 21 3/8″; WOA: 16 3/8″

Accession Number

975

Description

SITTER: Joseph Lewis, Jr., (1772-1834) was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1799 to 1803, and was elected as a Federalist to U.S. House of Representatives from 1803 to 1817. He again represented Loudoun County in the Virginia state legislature in 1817 and 1818. He died at his home, Clifton Plantation, on March 30, 1834.

ARTIST: Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin (1770-1852) was born in Dijon, France. Originally trained for a military career, the outbreak of the French Revolution forced his family to flee France. They traveled first to Switzerland, then to America in 1793, where his family joined a sizable French refugee community.

He began painting landscapes in 1793 to assist his impoverished parents. Later he turned to portraiture, using a French invention, called a physiognotrace to produce accurate life sized profiles. St. Memin then embellished these profiles to produce attractive portraits of his sitters. He often finished by giving the entire work a colored wash produced by a thin gouache layer. Surviving advertisements and receipts suggest for the original drawing in a gilt frame with painted églomisé glass mat, Saint-Memin received $6 for men and $8 for women. For an additional fee he would also produce a small engraved copperplate version and supply the plate and twelve prints.

Saint-Memin worked in several areas along the Atlantic Coast. From 1793 to 1798 he was in New York City. 1798-1804 saw him in Burlington, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Until 1809 he worked in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, Richmond, and Charleston. In 1810, after a brief trip to France, he returned to New York. In 1814 Saint-Memin was finally able to return to France. Home again, he served as director of the Beaux Arts Museum until his death in 1852.

DESCRIPTION: Charcoal drawing of the profile of Joseph Lewis, Jr., facing left on pink paper. The drawing shows a gentleman with light hair tied at the back with dark ribbon who is wearing a dark high coat with a white stock. The painting is mounted in the original gold frame with black and gold painted glass.

Artist Biography

ARTIST: Born in Dijon, France, Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin (1770-1852) had originally intended to have a military career. However, at the oubreak of the French Revolution, he and his family fled France for Switzerland, then to America (in 1793). He began painting landscapes in 1793 to assist his impoverished parents. Later he turned to portraiture, concentrating on accurate, life sized profiles drawn with the aid of a physiognotrace. Following the tracing, he would add features freehand with black crayon, then give the whole a wash of various shades of pink. For the original drawing in a gilt frame with painted glass mat, Saint-Memin received $6 (men) – $8 (women). For an additional $19-$27 he would also produce an small engraved copperplate version and supply the plate and twelve prints.
Saint-Memin worked in several areas along the Atlantic Coast. From 1793 to 1798 he was in New York City. 1798-1804 saw him in Burlington, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Until 1809 he worked in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, Richmond, and Charleston. In 1810, after a brief trip to France, he returned to New York. After his final return to France in 1814, Saint-Memin served as director of the Beaux Arts Museum until his death in 1852.

Credit Line

Anonymous Gift