View of the Louvre and the Pont Neuf, from Vues des Tuileries)
Medium
Color aquatint with etching and engraving in black ink on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 39.8 × 61.8 cm (15 11/16 × 24 3/8 in.); Sheet: 46.7 × 64.5 cm (18 7/16 × 25 7/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
111438
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling heart of pre-Revolutionary Paris with *View of the Louvre and Pont Neuf, fromues des Tuileries by Charles Melchior Descis, created in 1789. This captivating print offers a panoramic vista from the Tuileries gardens, showcasing the majestic Louvre palace—then a royal residence—and the historic Pont Neuf, Paris's oldest standing bridge spanning the Seine. As part of a series documenting the Tuileries area, it freezes a moment of elegance and urban vitality just as the French Revolution ignited nearby. Descourtis masterfully employed color aquatint combined with etching an...