Joseph Lewis, Jr.
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.74.39.11.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant profile print portrays Joseph Lewis, Jr., a prominent figure from Virginia, captured in 1805 by the-born artist Charles Balth Julien Févret de-Mémin (1770–1852). Saint-Mémin, who fled the French Revolution and settled in America, revolutionized portraiture with his innovative physiognotrace—a mechanical device that traced silhouettes with pinpoint accuracy. He then hand-colored and engraved these profiles, producing affordable yet refined prints that captured the likenesses of America's early leaders and elites. Created during the early years of the United States, this work refle...