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.74.39.1.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant 1809 print by Charles Balthazar Julienévret de Saint-Mmin captures the poised profile of John Trippe an American officer distinguished by his epaulet—a shoulder ornament symbolizing military rank. Saint-Mémin, a-born artist who fled the Revolution and settled in the United States pioneered a distinctive portrait style using the physiognotrace, a mechanical device that traced subjects' silhouettes with remarkable accuracy before engraving them onto copper plates. This technique produced cameo-like images that blended neoclassical precision with democratic accessibility. Created du...