Born in Paris in 1828, Adolphe Martial Potémont, who frequently signed his work simply “Martial,” was a French etcher whose sharply observed prints brought to life the streets, architecture, and artistic culture of a rapidly evolving nineteenth-century Paris.
Working with leading printers and publishers, including Auguste Delâtre and Alfred Cadart, Potémont became a founding member of the Société des Aquafortistes. His urban views, landscapes, genre scenes, and instructional prints celebrated both the craft and culture of etching.
Potémont died in Paris in 1883, leaving behind a record of the medieval streets, trades, buildings, and neighborhoods demolished during the sweeping modernization that created Paris’s grand new boulevards.
Etching on chine-collé on laid paper. Published by Cadart & Luquet, France, active 1863–67 for their famous eponymous organization, which promo...
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