La morgue, Paris (The Mortuary)
1854
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1854
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows a busy Paris street packed with tall, narrow houses. People walk along the sidewalk, some sitting on benches or leaning out windows. A big wooden structure sits in the middle of the street—it’s covered and looks like a temporary shelter. The buildings lean close together, and the whole scene feels crowded and busy. This is a mortuary, a place where unidentified bodies were kept before burial. The artist used sharp lines to show every detail, from the people’s clothes to the buildings’ cracks. Want to know more? Look up etching to see how artists like this one made precise prints.
