Pierre Nivelle, Bishop of Luçon, after Lasne
Medium
Etched in tin and printed on laid paper; fifth state of five (Schneiderman)
Dimensions
plate: 6 3/8 x 4 1/4 in. (16.2 x 10.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.78.42
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Pierre Nivelle, Bishop of Luçon, Lasne* (1861), a masterful etching by Charles Mery, the renowned 19th-century French printmaker celebrated for his intricate urban scenes and innovative techniques. This intimate portrait reproduces an earlier work by 17th-century engraver Lasne, capturing the likeness of Pierre Nivelle Bishop of Luçon, adorned with ecclesiastical symbols like the cross. Measuring just 6 3/8 x 4 1/4 inches, it exemplifies the etching revival of the mid-1800s, where artists like Meryon breathed new life into historical subjects through meticulous craftsmanship. What set...
About the Artist
Charles Meryon|Michel Lasne|Pierre Nivelle · 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...