Who painted Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris)?

Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris) was painted by Charles Meryon in 1865.

Where can I see Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris)?

Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris)?

Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris) is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris)?

Museum-quality prints of Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris)

Charles Meryon , 1865

Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris (The Admiralty, Paris) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Charles Meryon. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:(Charles Meryon monogram) lower center margin, in plate, artist's hand. "Meryon sculp." lower left margin, in plate. "Imp. Delâtre, Rue St Jacques, 303, Paris." lower right margin, in plate. "MINISTÈRE DE LA MARINE (Fictions & Voeux)" lower center margin, in plate. "Paris, Publié par CARDART & LUQUET, Editeurs, 79 Rue Richelieu" lower left margin, in plate. "176" upper right margin, in plate. "/355" lower right margin, in plate. Verso: none.
Markings: Marked:"National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).

About this work

Overview

The image captures the former naval headquarters on the Seine, rendered in the stark, linear manner characteristic of Meryon’s graphic work.

Created in 1865, Le Ministère de la Marine, Paris is an etching on laid paper by French printmaker Charles Meryon. The image captures the former naval headquarters on the Seine, rendered in the stark, linear manner characteristic of Meryon’s graphic work. The composition combines architectural grandeur with a bustling street scene, while a storm‑filled sky populated by ambiguous winged forms adds a note of tension.

Subject & Meaning

The central focus is the imposing neoclassical façade of the Admiralty, its tall columns and flat roof dominating the picture plane. In front of the building, a dense crowd of pedestrians and horse‑drawn carriages animates the street, suggesting the everyday flow of Parisian life. Overhead, a flock of indistinct birds, or perhaps bats, drifts through a turbulent sky, a visual device that may allude to social unrest or the uneasy atmosphere of mid‑nineteenth‑century Paris.

Technique & Style

Meryon employed traditional copper‑plate etching, incising lines that translate into fine, densely packed marks on the paper. The use of laid paper, with its ribbed texture, enhances the tactile quality of the print. His handling of light and shadow, achieved through varied line density, creates a dramatic chiaroscuro that emphasizes the building’s solidity against the cloudy backdrop.

History & Provenance

The work belongs to a series of urban views that Meryon produced after turning to printmaking due to his colour‑blindness. These cityscapes, executed in the 1860s, are now considered the core of his artistic output. The print has circulated through several European collections and is presently held in the holdings of a major museum dedicated to graphic arts.

Context

Meryon’s Parisian etchings emerged during a period of rapid modernization and political upheaval in France. By documenting iconic civic structures alongside ordinary street activity, he offered a counterpoint to the celebratory urban panoramas of his contemporaries, emphasizing the city's latent anxieties and the interplay between monumental authority and everyday life.

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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.