Evan William Thomas
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Accession Number
S/NPG.74.39.3.36
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1807, French-born engraver Charles Balthazar Julienévret de Saint-Mmin created this striking portrait print of Evan William, capturing the essence of early American identity during the young republic's formative years. Saint-Mémin, who emigrated to the United States in 1793 amid the French Revolution, became renowned for his meticulous profile portraits of prominent figures, from presidents to merchants. Working primarily in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D., he documented a burgeoning nation's elite with an almost scientific precision. Saint-Mémin's innovative technique involved ...