Le Pont Neuf et la Samaritaine de dessous la première arche du Pont au Change
1855
Medium
etching
Dimensions
203; 144
About this artwork
Aankoop uit het F.G. Waller-Fonds
Art Historical Context
Charles Meryon’s *Le Pont Neuf et la Samaritaine de dessous la première arche du Pont Change* (1855) captures a dramatic vista of historic Paris from an unusual vantage: beneath the first arch of the Pont au, gazing toward the iconic Pont Ne and the Renaissance Samaritaine pump house. This etching, measuring a compact 144 × 203 mm, belongs to Meryon’s celebrated *Eaux-Fortes sur* series, where he meticulously documented the city’s medieval architecture on the brink of Baron Haussmann’s transformative renovations. As a master etcher, Meryon elevated printmaking to fine art through his virtuoso...
About the Artist
Charles Meryon · 1821–1868
Charles Meryon, born on November 23, 1821, in Paris, was the illegitimate son of English physician Dr. Charles Lewis Meryon and dancer Pierre-Narcisse Chaspoux (stage name Narcisse Gentil) at the Paris Opéra. His half-sister Fanny, from his mother's prior relationship with Viscount Lowther, remained in contact after their mother's death in 1838. Raised partly outside Paris before attending Pension...