Jonathan Williams

Art Historical Context

This intimate portrait of Jonathan Williams, created in 8 by Charles B.. Févret de Saint-Mémin, captures the essence of late eighteenth-century American printmaking. At just over two inches square, the image exemplifies the delicate scale often favored for personal or commemorative works during the early years of the United States. The French-born artist, who spent much of his career in America, produced numerous such likenesses of notable figures, blending European technical traditions with the young nation’s growing interest in documenting its leaders and innovators. The work’s medium—mezzotint combined with engraving—highlights the period’s sophisticated print techniques. Mezzotint allowed artists to achieve rich, velvety tonal gradations through roughening the plate surface, while engraving added crisp linear details. Printed in black on wove paper and mounted on a supportive backing, the piece demonstrates both artistic refinement and practical durability for handling and display. As part of the Corcoran Collection now at the National Gallery of Art, this print offers viewers a glimpse into the era’s cultural emphasis on portraiture as a means of preserving memory and status. Its compact format suggests it may have served as a treasured keepsake or study, inviting close examination of both subject and craft.

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...