Thomas Jefferson: President des Etats unis de l'Amerique, a stipple engraving created after a drawing by Bouch and engraved by Baron August-Gaspard-Louis-Boucher Desnoyers, was deposited at the Bibliothèque Nationale (i.e., copyrighted) in the ninth year of the French Republican calendar, corresponding to 1801. This engraving offers a representation of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States.
In the years surrounding the turn of the 19th century, both France and the United States were undergoing significant political and social changes. While France was grappling with the repercussions of its revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, the United States was establishing its early institutions and consolidating its democracy under leaders like Jefferson. The depiction of an American president within the milieu of French art and culture hints at the international significance of the newly formed United States and its evolving diplomatic relations.
Stipple engraving, the technique employed in this print, is characterized by the use of small dots to create an image, allowing for nuanced variations in tone and depth. The skill of Aug. Desnoyers is evident in this piece, encapsulating Jefferson's likeness with a subtlety that captures both his physical features and the gravitas associated with his presidential office.