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
NPG.74.39.10.41
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant 1799 print by French-born artist Charles Balthazar Févret de Saintémin captures the profile of Thomas Truxtun a prominent American naval hero known as a commodore sheriff. Saint-Mémin, who emigrated to the United States during the French Revolution, specialized in precise profile portraits that documented the early Republic's leaders and notables. Produced through his innovative physiognotrace technique mechanical device that traced silhouettes onto paper before engraving and printing on copper plates—these small-scale prints were affordable and widely collected, making portraitur...