Bernard Moore Carter
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
2015.19.1584.40.13
Art Historical Context
This intimate portrait of Bernard Moore Carter, created in 1808 by French-born artist Charles B. J Févret de Saint-Mémin, captures the elegance of early American society through the delicate medium of printmaking. Measuring just over inches square, the work exemplifies the miniature portrait tradition popular among the elite during the young republic’s formative years. Such images often served as personal mementos or tokens of social connection, reflecting both individual identity and the aspirations of prominent families. Saint-Mémin’s use of mezzotint combined with engraving produces rich, ...
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...