1863
graphite
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
College Henri IV is a 1863 graphite by Charles Meryon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a tall, narrow building with pointed windows and a steep roof—likely a church or old school. The lines are loose but precise, focusing on shapes and shadows. In the background, more buildings crowd together, drawn quickly with faint red chalk marks. The artist used light pencil strokes to show depth, adding red chalk only for details like rooftops. This was done in 1863, part of a push to draw real places as they looked, not idealized. Next, check out Realism to see how artists like this one focused on everyday scenes.
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.
See the richer artist page
