Artwork
Titre des eaux-fortes sur Paris (Title Page to the Set of Etchings of Paris)
Titre des eaux-fortes sur Paris (Title Page to the Set of Etchings of Paris) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Charles Meryon. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"EAUX-FORTES / SUR / PARIS / pur / C. MERYON. / MDCCCLII" center composition, in plate. "[illeg.]" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "2928" [underlined] verso, center left sheet, graphite, unknown hand.
- Markings
- Marked:"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, stamped three times, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, stamped three times, (Lugt 1932d). (Cortland F. Bishop collector's stamp) verso, purple stamped ink, (Lugt 2770b).
About this work
Overview
Created in 1852, this blue-tinted title page introduces Charles Meryon’s series of etchings depicting Paris. Executed on wove paper, the print features a hand‑drawn border, uneven edges, and black lettering that reads “Eaux‑Fortes sur Paris” with a small botanical sketch between the words. The work functions as a frontispiece for the larger collection of urban views.
Subject & Meaning
The title page signals the focus of the series: the streets, architecture, and atmospheric qualities of mid‑nineteenth‑century Paris. By framing the set with a modest, almost sketch‑like design, Meryon emphasizes the documentary and personal nature of his visual study of the city.
Technique & Style
Meryon employed traditional etching, incising lines into a metal plate that were then inked and pressed onto blue‑tinted paper. The rough, torn‑paper edges and wavering border reflect a deliberately irregular aesthetic, while the crisp black lettering contrasts with the muted background, highlighting the print’s textual function.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during Meryon’s most productive period, when his color blindness led him to concentrate almost exclusively on monochrome etching. It served as the introductory sheet for the complete set of Paris views, which were later compiled and circulated among collectors of French graphic art.
Context
Meryon’s Paris series emerged amid a broader 19th‑century interest in urban transformation and the romantic revival of Gothic motifs. His work offers a counterpoint to the era’s burgeoning photographic documentation, preserving a more subjective, atmospheric vision of the city’s historic fabric.
Legacy
Although less familiar to English‑language audiences, Meryon’s etchings are regarded as pivotal examples of French printmaking in the 1800s. The title page remains a reference point for scholars examining the interplay between text and image in early modern publishing of artistic series.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
