Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
Encyclopedia
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (1770–1852) was a portraitist and museum director. He fled France
during the revolution
, and worked as a portrait
engraver in the United States
in the early 19th century. He created portraits from life of George Washington
, Thomas Jefferson
, and others. He later served as museum director in Dijon
.
, Paris, France, graduating in 1785. In 1788, he served in the French Guard
.
During the French Revolution
, Saint-Memin and his family travelled to Switzerland
, and then in 1793 to New York City
. They intended to travel to Santo Domingo
”to prevent the sequestration of the lands of his creole mother [However] in New York news of the sad fate of that colony made them decide to remain where they were. Faced with earning a living, they first tried raising vegetables, but ... this experiment proved inadequate.” Out of necessity, Saint-Memin taught himself to work portraits.
Saint-Memin lived in the United States
from 1793 through 1814. During that time he created numerous portraits, often using the physiognotrace
technique, invented in 1786 by Gilles-Louis Chretien. Portrait subjects included Alexander Macomb, John Marshall
, Thomas Jefferson
, George Washington
, and others.
After returning to France, he worked as director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
from 1817-1852. He died in Dijon on June 23, 1852.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, and worked as a portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
engraver in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the early 19th century. He created portraits from life of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, and others. He later served as museum director in Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
.
Brief history
Born in France in 1770, to parents Benigne Charles Fevret and Victoire Marie de Motmans, Saint-Memin was educated at Ecole MilitaireÉcole Militaire
The École Militaire is a vast complex of buildings housing various military training facilities located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, southeast of the Champ de Mars....
, Paris, France, graduating in 1785. In 1788, he served in the French Guard
Gardes Françaises
The Gardes Françaises was one of the two non-ceremonial infantry regiments in the "Maison du Roi" of the French Army under the Ancien Régime. The other regiment was the Gardes Suisses, which made the Gardes Françaises the only one recruited from France.-History:The regiment was created in 1563 by...
.
During the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Saint-Memin and his family travelled to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and then in 1793 to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They intended to travel to Santo Domingo
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
”to prevent the sequestration of the lands of his creole mother [However] in New York news of the sad fate of that colony made them decide to remain where they were. Faced with earning a living, they first tried raising vegetables, but ... this experiment proved inadequate.” Out of necessity, Saint-Memin taught himself to work portraits.
Saint-Memin lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1793 through 1814. During that time he created numerous portraits, often using the physiognotrace
Physiognotrace
Physiognotrace: The physiognotrace is an instrument designed to trace a person's physiognomy, most specifically the profile in the form of a silhouette: it is also known as physionotrace in French. The instrument is a descendant of the pantograph, a drawing device that magnifies figures.-History:A...
technique, invented in 1786 by Gilles-Louis Chretien. Portrait subjects included Alexander Macomb, John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, and others.
After returning to France, he worked as director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon is a museum of fine arts opened in 1787 in Dijon, France. It is housed in the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in the historic center of Dijon.- Artworks :The Musée include a large and varied collection of art:...
from 1817-1852. He died in Dijon on June 23, 1852.
Further reading
- Frank Weitenkampf. Sketch of the life of Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Mémin. NY: Grolier Club, 1899.
- Morgan, John Hill. "The Work of M. Fevret de Saint-Mémin," in the Brooklyn Museum Quarterly, January 1918, Vol. V, No. 1.
- Norfleet, Fillmore. Saint-Mémin in Virginia: Portraits and Biographies. Richmond, VA: Dietz Press, 1942.
- Miles, Ellen G. “Saint-Mémin in the South 1803-1809.” Southern Quarterly 25, no. 1 (1986): 22-39.
- Miles, Ellen G.. “Saint-Mémin’s Portraits of American Indians 1804-1807.” American Art Journal 20, no. 4 (1988): 2-33.
- Miles, Ellen G. Saint-Mémin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in the America. Washington: National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994.
- Christopher Rolfe. Saint-Memin, Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de (1770–1852). France and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 205.
External links
- New York Historical Society. Guide to the Saint-Mémin Print Collection, 1794-1808