1854
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Armes symboliques de la ville de Paris (Symbolical Arms of the City of Paris) is a 1854 ink by Charles Meryon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image is a black-and-white etching of a shield-shaped coat of arms. At the top sits a castle with three towers and a crenelated top. Below, a black background is filled with gold fleur-de-lis patterns. In the center sits a ship with three masts, sailing on wavy lines. The whole thing is framed by leafy branches at the bottom. The ship looks like it’s carrying a small tower or monument on its deck. The fleur-de-lis symbols are often linked to French royalty. This print was made using a technique that scratches lines into metal plates. Next, check out etching to see how artists like this create detailed prints.
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.
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