Portrait of Meryon Sitting up in Bed

Art Historical Context

In the Drawings and Prints department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, *Portrait of Mery Sitting up in Bed*1858) captures a poignant moment through the innovative medium of heliogravure. Created by Léopold Flameng Charles Meryon, print measures 9 × 11 inches on the plate and exemplifies mid-19th-century advancements in reproductive printmaking. Heliogravure a photogravure technique pioneered by Niépce de Saint-Victor, allowed for exceptionally detailed intaglio prints from photographic negatives, bridging photography and traditional etching with remarkable fidelity. Charles Meryon, a celebrated French etcher known for his haunting views of Paris, is depicted here in a vulnerable, intimate pose—propped up in bed, suggesting a personal glimpse into his life amid the Romantic era's fascination with the artist's inner world. Flameng, a skilled engraver and painter, masterfully translated this image, highlighting Meryon's expressive features against the stark simplicity of his surroundings. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1917, this work underscores the era's etching revival and the growing role of prints in disseminating portraiture. Visitors will appreciate how this modest yet evocative piece reveals the human side of artistic genius, blending technical innovation with emotional depth in a format perfect for close study.

About the Artist

Léopold Flameng|Charles Meryon · 1831–1911

Léopold Flameng (1831–1911) was one of the most accomplished and influential French engravers of the 19th century, whose exceptional technical mastery and artistic sensitivity made him the preeminent interpreter of paintings by old and modern masters through the medium of engraving. Born in Brussels on November 22, 1831, to French parents, and dying at Courgent, near Paris, on September 5, 1911, F...