Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de - James Riddle - c. 1798-1802 - T-Shirt

An oval chalk profile of James Riddle, drawn around 1798 to 1802, shows a heavy-featured man turned to the left against a rose-toned ground.

Visual Elements & Composition

Salmon pink fills most of the sheet, shading toward the edges, and charcoal and warm grey build the face and dark coat. The sitter's hair is brushed back from a broad brow and falls in soft waves over the ear. A white cravat, tied in a small bow, is lifted with white chalk at the throat. The oval format and the plain ground leave nothing for the eye to share with the head, so the outline of the profile carries the composition.

Meaning & Symbolism

The level gaze, firm mouth and plain dress describe a man of settled, practical standing. The absence of any object or setting marks the portrait as a record of the person rather than of his trade. The artist, Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Memin, made many profile likenesses in crayon and chalk during his years in the United States, from the late 1790s into the early 1800s. He traced each outline with a mechanical device and finished the features by hand, which allowed faithful likenesses to be made in quantity. This sheet belongs to that practice, and its clean line and tonal modelling show it clearly.

On the Unisex Heavy Cotton Tee

The oval sits as a single, centred image, so the profile reads clearly from across a room and rewards a closer look at the chalk-work in the face and cravat. Worn, the head faces left across the chest, giving the shirt a quiet, composed front rather than a busy one. The design asks to be seen at a conversational distance, which suits a portrait built on restraint.