John Moore White

Art Historical Context

This intimate portrait, titled *John Moore White*, was created by French-born artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin between 1798 and 1803. Rendered as a mezzotint and engraving in black ink, the small circular image measures just over two inches across, giving it the delicate quality of a miniature. Such compact prints were often produced as personal keepsakes or book illustrations during the early years of the American republic. The combination of mezzotint and engraving allowed Saint-Mémin to achieve rich tonal depth alongside fine linear detail, techniques well suited to capturing the textures of clothing and hair in a limited space. The work is printed on wove paper and mounted on a brown support, a presentation that enhances its visual warmth and preserves the delicate plate mark. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s Corcoran Collection, this print offers visitors a glimpse into the refined portrait tradition of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, when artists used innovative printmaking methods to make likenesses accessible beyond the elite circles who could afford painted originals.

About the Artist

Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin · 1770–1852

**Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin** Born on March 12, 1770, in Dijon, France, to marquis Bénigne-Charles Févret de Saint-Mémin, a former conseiller au Parlement de Bourgogne, and Victoire-Marie de Motmans, a creole from Port-au-Prince, Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin received a military education at the École Militaire in Paris, graduating in 1785. He served as a cad...