William Lee

William Lee

Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, 12 Mar 1770 - 23 Jun 1852

Details

Dimensions
Image: 5.5 x 5.5 cm (2 3/16 x 2 3/16"); Sheet: 55 x 40 cm (21 5/8 x 15 3/4")
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon

Art Genome Taxonomy

10 tags

Subject Matter

  • Portrait Metadata · 99%

    The museum catalog identifies the subject as William Lee and classifies the work as a portrait.

  • Individual Portrait Both · 99%

    The catalog names a single sitter, William Lee, and the image visibly presents one identifiable figure in profile.

  • Face Visual · 99%

    The composition prominently emphasizes the sitter’s head and facial profile, including the forehead, nose, lips, chin, and eye.

  • Text Visual · 99%

    Visible lettering above and below the circular image includes “Lee,” “1807,” and additional marks on the sheet.

Visual Qualities

  • Linear Forms Visual · 94%

    Curving hair, facial contours, garment edges, and repeated parallel hatching create a strongly linear visual structure.

Medium and Techniques

  • Prints Both · 99%

    The catalog classifies the object as a print, and the image visibly consists of engraved line work on paper.

  • Etching/Engraving Both · 99%

    The catalog specifies engraving on paper; the image shows fine hatching, cross-hatching, and contour lines used to model form.

  • Work on Paper Both · 99%

    The museum records the medium as engraving on paper, and the visible work is presented on a surrounding sheet.

  • Tondo Visual · 98%

    The portrait is enclosed within a clearly circular, medallion-like image format.

Time Periods

  • 19th Century Art Metadata · 99%

    The museum dates the work to 1807, placing it within the nineteenth century.

Source & rights

Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, 12 Mar 1770 - 23 Jun 1852. William Lee. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon.