Artwork

Voyages pittoresques et romantiques dans l'ancienne France: Bretagne: Dolmen de Parc-ar-Colmen

Voyages pittoresques et romantiques dans l'ancienne France: Bretagne: Dolmen de Parc-ar-Colmen is a print by the Romanticist artist Eugène Cicéri. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1941.206
Credit line: Twenty-fifth anniversary gift, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection

About this work

Overview

Created around 1845, this print by Eugène Cicéri depicts the Parc‑ar‑Colmen dolmen in Brittany. The image is part of the series "Voyages pittoresques et romantiques dans l'ancienne France" and is presently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a solitary, moss‑laden megalith set within a mist‑filled field. A diminutive figure crouches nearby, emphasizing the monument’s age and the quiet solitude of the landscape.

Technique & Style

Cicéri employs a soft, diffused lighting that renders the stone surfaces with a delicate tonal range, balancing the weight of the dolmen against a sense of atmospheric stillness. The print’s fine lines convey both texture and the ethereal quality of the surrounding fog.

History & Provenance

Eugène Cicéri traveled extensively across France in the mid‑19th century, documenting sites he considered at risk of disappearance. This work, produced circa 1845, entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition, though the exact path of ownership prior to the museum is not detailed in available records.

Context

The image belongs to a broader Romantic interest in antiquity and the natural world, reflecting contemporary concerns about preserving regional heritage. Cicéri’s focus on a remote Breton dolmen aligns with the period’s fascination with ancient monuments as symbols of national identity.