Artwork

Adresse de Rochoux, Marchand d'estampes (The Address-Card of Rochoux, a Printseller)

Adresse de Rochoux, Marchand d'estampes (The Address-Card of Rochoux, a Printseller) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Charles Meryon. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Adresse de Rochoux, Marchand d'estampes is an etching in red and black on laid paper, created by French artist Charles Meryon around 1856. The work takes the form of a trade card for a print seller named Rochoux.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a fictional or promotional trade card, complete with a red border, a small horse-drawn cart scene, a building with a bridge, and the inscription 'Estampes anciennes Rochoux' along with a Quai de l’Horloge address. It reflects Meryon’s affinity for urban Parisian scenes and meticulous graphic detail.

Technique & Style

Executed in red and black etching on laid paper, the work showcases Meryon’s adaptation to colour blindness by focusing on monochromatic depth with red accents. The bold, faded appearance and intricate details are characteristic of his distinctive Gothic-inspired vision of Paris.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1856 by Charles Meryon, a pivotal yet under-recognized (in the English-speaking world) 19th-century French etcher. Meryon primarily worked in etching due to his colour blindness.

Context

Part of Meryon’s broader oeuvre focusing on Parisian urban landscapes and everyday life, this piece highlights the role of print sellers in 19th-century Paris’s artistic ecosystem.

Legacy

Contributes to Meryon’s reputation as the most significant French etcher of the 19th century, despite limited international acclaim beyond France.

Artist & collection

Artist

Charles Meryon

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.