James Campbell
c. 1804 (printed 1887)
Medium
mezzotint and engraving in black with chine collé on wove paper mounted to brown wove paper
Dimensions
image (irregular): 5.72 × 5.56 cm (2 1/4 × 2 3/16 in.) plate: 6.99 × 6.19 cm (2 3/4 × 2 7/16 in.) sheet: 7.62 × 6.83 cm (3 × 2 11/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)
Accession Number
2015.19.1584.56.8
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This intimate portrait of James Campbell, created around 1804 by French émigré artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, captures the refined elegance of early American portraiture. Saint-Mémin, who fled the French Revolution and settled in the United States, became renowned for his profile likenesses of prominent figures, including presidents, statesmen, and military leaders Though the identity of this particular sitter remains somewhat obscure, the work reflects the artist’s role in documenting the young nation’s emerging elite through accessible yet sophisticated prints. The piece exemplifies Saint-Mémin’s innovative technique, combining mezzotint and engraving with chine collé—a method that allowed delicate tonal effects on fine paper mounted to a sturdier support. Originally produced in a small format suited for personal albums or books, this impression was printed decades later in 1887, preserving the delicate details of the original plate. Its modest scale invites close viewing, highlighting the artist’s precision in rendering hair, clothing, and expression. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s Corcoran Collection, the print offers a window into both early American identity and the transatlantic exchange of artistic practices at the turn of the nineteenth century.
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...