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.74.39.10.43
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Jonathan Brace** is a striking profile portrait print created in 1800 by Charles Balth Julien Févret de-Mémin, a émigré artist renowned for his innovative depictions of early American leaders. Saint-Mémin, who fled the French Revolution, settled in the United States and pioneered a mechanical tracing device called the physiognotrace to capture precise profiles, which he then engraved as intimate, oval-formatted prints. This medium was revolutionary for its affordability and reproducibility, making elite portraiture accessible beyond oil paintings. The subject, Jonathan Brace, embodies the c...