Elizabeth Parke Custis Law

1805

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

Associated Names
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

Artist, French, 1770 - 1852

The image depicts an oval portrait of a woman in profile, facing right. She is upright, showing her face and upper torso clearly. She has a defined nose and curly hair held back with a floral headband. She wears a high-collared dress with detailed collar and puffed sleeves gathered at the elbows. An earring is visible on her ear. The background is plain, highlighting the detailed engraving of the woman. The caption below reads "Mrs. Law."

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    mezzotint and engraving in black on wove paper mounted to brown wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)

  • Dimensions

    image (irregular): 4.6 × 3.81 cm (1 13/16 × 1 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 5.4 × 4.45 cm (2 1/8 × 1 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2015.19.1584.50.13

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Miles 1994, no. 482

  • Series Title

    Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits

Associated Artworks

See all 15 artworks
The image is a portrait of a man shown from the chest up in profile, facing the right side of the frame. He has distinctive facial features with a prominent nose and high cheekbones, and curly, short hair neatly styled. He wears a dark-colored coat over a high-collared white shirt or cravat tied in a bow. There are no visible jewelry or objects in his hands. The background features a plain, dark oval vignette on a lighter-toned paper, drawing focus to the subject. The name "Theodore Gourdin" is scripted below the portrait.

Theodore Gourdin

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1808

Saint-Mémin Collection of Portraits, Group 50

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1797

The image shows a profile portrait of a woman with detailed facial features, including a prominent nose, full lips, and defined jawline. She has styled her hair in tight curls and wears a large bonnet with a feather on top. She is dressed in a sleeveless, high-waisted garment with ruching detail at the bust, and wears a bead or pearl necklace. The background is plain, and there is a handwritten inscription at the bottom with the name "Mlle de St. Memin."

Étiennette-Charlotte-Adélaïde Févret de Saint-Mémin

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin

1799

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

the artist, Dijon, France; Léon Victor Raoul Leclerc, Vicomte de Juigné (the artist's nephew), Dijon, France, 1852; (Henry Stevens, London, England, c. 1859); William W. Corcoran, Washington, DC, c. 1874; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1875; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Bibliography

1862

  • Dexter, Elias. The St. Memin Collection of Portraits; Consisting of Seven Hundred and Sixty Medallion Portraits, Principally of Distinguished Americans. Elias Dexter: New York, 1862, no. 12.

1940

  • Catalogue of Engraved Portraits by Favret de Saint Memin, 1770-1852. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1940, p. 14.

1942

  • Norfleet, Fillmore. Saint-Mémin in Virginia: Portraits and Biographies. Richmond, Virginia: The Dietz Press, 1942, p. 181.

1994

  • Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America. Washington, DC: National Portrait Gallery, 1994, p. 334, no. 482.

Inscriptions

lower center mount in black ink by unknown hand: Mrs. Law.

Wikidata ID

Q77262543

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