George Washington Parke Custis

Art Historical Context

In the early 19th century, French engraver Charles B.. Févret de-Mémin captured the likeness of George Washington Parkeis in this intimate 1808 print. Custis, the adopted grandson and stepson of George Washington, was a prominent figure American society, known for his efforts to preserve his stepfather's legacy through relics, writings, and Arlington House. At just 27 years old Custis embodies the patrician elegance of the post-Revolutionary elite, his profile rendered with remarkable precision on a tiny scale—measuring a mere 5.56 cm square. Saint-Mémin, who emigrated to the United States in 1793, revolutionized portraiture with his physionotrace technique, tracing profiles mechanically before engraving them. Here, he employs mezzotint—a labor-intensive process of roughening a copper plate to produce velvety blacks and subtle tones—combined with fine-line engraving for crisp details. This black-on-wove-paper print, now part of the National Gallery of Art's Corcoran Collection, exemplifies the era's demand for affordable, reproducible likenesses of notables, bridging fine art and popular dissemination. Such miniature portraits held cultural weight, democratizing access to America's founding icons and fostering national identity amid a young republic's growth. A window into personal and political heritage, this work invites us to ponder Custis's role in safeguarding Washington's memory.

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...