William Hudson
Medium
mezzotint and engraving in black on wove paper mounted to brown wove paper
Dimensions
image (irregular): 5.56 × 5.56 cm (2 3/16 × 2 3/16 in.) sheet (trimmed to plate): 6.83 × 6.19 cm (2 11/16 × 2 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)
Accession Number
2015.19.1584.10.7
Art Historical Context
This intimate 1798 portrait of William Hudson exemplifies the refined printmaking tradition of the early American Republic. Created by French émigré artist Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin, the work captures its subject in a compact, circular format typical of the period’s miniature portrait prints. Measuring just over two inches across, the image reflects the era’s growing demand for affordable likenesses that could be shared among family, friends, and colleagues. Saint-Mémin employed a combination of mezzotint and engraving to achieve rich tonal depth alongside crisp linear detail. The m...
About the Artist
Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin
**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...