1797 Charles Févret de Saint-Mémin Mezzotint Portrait No. 87 of William Seton

Description: 1797 Charles Févret de Saint-Mémin Charles B. J. Févret de Saint-Mémin Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin Mezzotint and Engraving in black on wove paper Portrait No. 87 William Seton, 1768 - 1803 2 1/4” x 2 7/8” Artist Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, 12 Mar 1770 - 23 Jun 1852 Sitter William Seton, 1768 - 1803 Date 1797 Type Print Engraving on paper National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian InstitutionPORTRAIT William Magee Seton BIRTH 20 Apr 1768 At Sea DEATH 27 Dec 1803 (aged 35) Pisa, Provincia di Pisa, Toscana, Italy BURIAL Church of St. Elizabeth Seton Livorno, Provincia di Livorno, Toscana, Italy Husband of St. Elizabeth Seton, first American-born Catholic to be beatified. The eldest child of William Seton, a wealthy New York merchant descended from the Scottish Setons of Parbroath, and his first wife, the former Rebecca Curson (aka Curzon), William Magee Seton was born at sea during his parents' return voyage to America after a trip to London. Called "Magee", he was educated in England and Continental Europe prior to joining his father's import-export company. A fine musician, he delighted in playing a Stradivarius violin he acquired and would treasure to his dying day. On January 25, 1794, he married "Eliza" Bayley, the future saint, in New York City. The socially prominent newlyweds were very much in love and admirably suited to one another: the 26-year-old groom was charming, sophisticated, and idealistic; his 19-year-old bride well-educated, graceful, and devout, and their happy marriage produced five children within seven years. The couple were friends and neighbors of Alexander Hamilton, influential members of historic Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, and had once hosted a reception for George Washington. By the turn of the century, however, they had suffered a devastating reversal of fortune. The Seton mercantile company went bankrupt, and the death of William's father had left him with the responsibility of supporting a large extended family in addition to his own. Afflicted with tuberculosis, and further distressed by the loss of their house and many of their possessions, he became debilitated by the disease. Hoping that a stay in a warmer climate would restore his health, he set sail for the home of an Italian friend, the banker Filippo Fillichi, accompanied by Elizabeth and their eldest daughter. Upon their ship's arrival in Livorno, the Setons were mistakenly quarantined in a harbor lazaretto, a precautionary measure taken by Italian authorities to prevent the spread of yellow fever. Confinement in the damp, drafty lazaretto proved fatal to William, who died just days after the Setons were allowed to continue on to the Filicchi villa in Pisa. He was 35 years old. Originally buried in the old English Cemetery in Livorno, William's remains were transferred to the modern Church of St. Elizabeth Seton in the city's Piazza Lavagna in 2004. There a statue of the saint is flanked by busts of William Seton and Filippo Fillichi, the family friend who inspired her to embrace the CatholicARTIST Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (1770–1852) was a French portrait painter and museum director. He left 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. Born in France in 1770 to Benigne Charles Fevret and Victoire Marie de Motmans, Saint-Memin was educated at École Militaire, Paris, graduating in 1785. In 1788 he served in the French Guards. During the French Revolution, Saint-Memin and his family travelled to Switzerland, and then in 1793 to New York City. They intended to go to Saint-Domingue, ”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 to 1814. During this period 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, Christopher G. Champlin, and others. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon After returning to France, he worked as director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon from 1817 to 1852. He died in Dijon on 23 June 1852

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