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.74.39.10.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant 1806 print portrays John Campbell, a prominent early American figure known as a judge, lawyer, and U.S. Congressman from Maryland. Created by French-born artist Charles Balth Julien Févret de-Mémin (1770–1852), it captures Campbell's refined profile against a simple background, emblematic of the burgeoning national identity in the young United States. Saint-Mémin, who emigrated to America during the French Revolution, became renowned for documenting the nation's elite through accessible portrait prints. Saint-Mémin's innovative technique—using a mechanical device called the physi...