Personal ensemble of Master Mason Hilaire Guénin. Philadelphia, 1802–1803.

This exceptionally rare personal Masonic ensemble from the early nineteenth century has survived in almost complete form. It comprises a Master Mason’s certificate issued under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, a painted Master Mason’s apron, and a lifetime portrait of their owner, the French-born Hilaire Guénin.

The certificate was issued in Philadelphia in 1802 (A.L. 5802) by the French-speaking Lodge No. 73, working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and serving a community of Francophone émigrés. It certifies that Guénin had been raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. The document bears the signatures of officers of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, including the future Grand Master James Milnor.

The owner’s portrait is of particular importance. It is attributed to the French artist and engraver Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin (1770–1852), who emigrated to the United States and became one of the leading portraitists of the early American Republic.

Saint-Mémin produced an extensive series of profile portraits of prominent Americans. His sitters included Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as James Madison, John Marshall, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and many other leading politicians, military officers, and public figures.

The National Gallery of Art in Washington preserves an engraving by Saint-Mémin entitled “Guenin,” dated 1803. The sitter’s facial features, hairstyle, sideburns, cravat, and clothing correspond precisely to those in the large drawing included in this ensemble. The engraving is inscribed “Drawn & engrd. by St. Memin Philada.” and is catalogued as Miles 1994, no. 381. This correspondence allows the present drawing to be identified with a high degree of confidence as Saint-Mémin’s original portrait study, used as the basis for the engraved version.