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Moliere's Tomb

Charles Meryon

1854

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Moliere's Tomb is a 1854 graphite by Charles Meryon, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Charles Meryon
When & what style?: 1854 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a plain stone tomb with the name "MOLIÈRE" carved on it. The artist used graphite on laid paper, so the lines look crisp and deliberate. No fancy colors or brushwork here—just pencil. Méryon made this while visiting a Paris cemetery. The tomb sits in a quiet corner, almost forgotten. He sketched it quickly, like he didn’t want to disturb the place. Next, look up Meryon, Charles.

About the artist

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.

See the richer artist page