Artwork
The Address Card of Rochoux, a Printseller
The Address Card of Rochoux, a Printseller is a print by the Impressionist artist Charles Meryon. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Address Card of Rochoux, a Printseller is an etched print created by Charles Meryon around 1856. The work serves as a business card for a Parisian printseller, Rochoux, combining a detailed street scene with contact information.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a Parisian street vista with a house, smoking chimney, a statue on a pedestal, a bridge, and distant buildings. The sole figure, a tiny statue, subtly humanizes the scene. The primary purpose of the etching was to advertise Rochoux's business in old prints.
Technique & Style
Executed in etching—a medium Meryon favored due to his colour blindness—the piece showcases his characteristic atmospheric and detailed rendering of urban landscapes, reflective of his Gothic-inspired vision of Paris.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1856 by Charles Meryon, a leading 19th-century French etcher. Specific provenance details (ownership history) are not provided in the available information.
Context
This work aligns with the broader artistic movement of Realism, emphasizing everyday life and detailed observation, though Meryon's style often infused such scenes with a unique, somewhat melancholic, Gothic sensibility.
Legacy
As part of Meryon's oeuvre, The Address Card of Rochoux contributes to his reputation as a pivotal figure in 19th-century French etching, known for capturing the essence of Paris in his time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Meryon (sometimes Méryon, 23 November 1821 – 14 February 1868) was a French artist who worked almost entirely in etching, as he had colour blindness.
No. 1: Title Page
Title Page
The Suckling of Hercules
Bullfights: Title Page
The Siege of La Rochelle: Plate 16
Feste de Bacchus, celebree par des Satyres et des Bacchantes (Feast of Bacchus Celeb rated by Satyrs and Bacchanales)
Dogs Pursuing a Cat
Allegory in Honor of Henri IV
The Portrait Bust
Holy Family on the Flight into Egypt
Title Page for "Agreable diversite de figures"
Adresse de Rochoux, Marchand d'estampes (The Address-Card of Rochoux, a Printseller)