A gold mourning ring commemoratingthe death of George Washington
set with a stipple engraving by Saint-Memin, circa 1800.

These splendid rings set with a portrait by the premier profile artist of the New Republic, are now exceedingly rare.

The rings were first advertised by Philadelphia goldsmith and jeweler Simon Chaudron about three weeks after Washington's death in ads published in both the Philadelphia Aurora and The Federal Gazette of January 4, 1800: "Mourning Rings, With an elegant Portrait of the late illustrious General Washington. To be had at S. Chaudron, No. 12, South 3d Street." Though the advertisement does not specifically name Saint-Memin as the artist of the portrait, Saint-Memin and Chaudron had close ties. Saint-Memin had advertised that examples of his work were available to be seen at Chaudron and, in December of 1799, Saint-Memin had moved to 12 South 3rd Street, Chaudron's address.

5/8 inch high.

Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin (1770-1852) was certainly the most important profile artist and engraver of early Federal America. Escaping the French Revolution, St. Memin and his family arrived in America about 1793. By 1796, in an effort to assist his impoverished parents, he had become a professional artist. Using a physionotrace, St. Memin took profiles, many of which he reduced to miniature size and then engraved himself. More impressive were his large crayon profiles, many set in distinctive eglomise mats. St. Memin worked in Philadelphia from 1798 to 1804, then traveling the Eastern Seaboard from Baltimore to Charleston. He finally returned to France in 1814, leaving behind a unique image of Federal America.
For in-depth discussions of these important, scarce and historic artifacts, see:
    Miles, Saint-Memin and the Neoclassical Profile Portrait in America, pgs 101-105.
    Deutsch, "Washington Memorial Prints," The Magazine Antiques, February, 1977, pgs. 324-331.