{"title":"Charles MERYON","description":"\u003cp\u003eCharles Meryon (1821-1868), together with Eugène Bléry, is amongst the first artists to receive major recognition for their etchings in 19\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century France.  But while the latter was conservative in his subjects, Meryon was anything but.  Meryon suffered from hallucinations and his work reflects a dark outlook on life.  His etching, almost always pure line etchings, mostly show cities; the city or Paris in particular.  In these cityscapes, shadows lurk and ominous birds circle the skies.  However, these stylistic choices do not obscure his ability to select surprising perspectives and depict his moody scenes with finesse.  He is today still very much recognized as the artist who pushed the greatest number of French artists to rediscover the phenomenal possibilities offered by etching.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"saint-etienne-du-mont","title":"Saint-Etienne-du-Mont","description":"\u003cp\u003eEtching and drypoint on thin laid paper, 1852. References: Delteil-Wright 30; Schneiderman 25 iv\/viii. A very fine, unrestored impression of the fourth state of eight. Scarce in all states.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MERYON, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":12605027123242,"sku":"10107","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2654\/1544\/products\/meryonsaintetiennedumonts25detail.jpg?v=1526739846"},{"product_id":"entrance-to-the-convent-of-the-french-capuchins-in-athens","title":"Entrance to the Convent of the French Capuchins in Athens","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEntrée du Couvent des Capucins Français à Athènes\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e (original French title)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEtching printed on laid paper, 1854.\u003cbr\u003eReferences: Delteil 61, Schneiderman 50.  Third and final state, with the cursive letters.  Scarce.\u003cbr\u003eSupposedly published in \u003cem\u003eAthènes au XVe, XVIe et XVIIe siècles\u003c\/em\u003e, Paris, 1854 (1st volume, page 76).  However, two copies of the book we were able to peruse did not contain this print (including the one in the possession of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France), and despite it being mentioned in the table of plates.  It also seems all museum collections which have this etching, have it loose, not bound in the book.  It may be that this etching was never actually included.  It would explain its scarcity today.\u003cbr\u003eThis composition was created with the help of an etching by Jacques Philippe Le Bas (1707-1783), from 1758, which can be seen \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.royalacademy.org.uk\/art-artists\/work-of-art\/view-of-the-choragic-monument-of-lysicrates-athens\"\u003eHERE\u003c\/a\u003e, along with a photograph in the possession of Meryon at the time.\u003cbr\u003eThis is crisp and warm impression, in very good condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eCount Léon de Laborde frames the historic context of this work as follows: “In 1669, the Capuchins purchased the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Choragic_Monument_of_Lysicrates\"\u003eChoragic Monument of Lysicrates\u003c\/a\u003e in Athens, immediately east of the Acropolis. Father Simon acquired it as a citizen of Athens, and it is in this capacity that the commission of the historical monuments of France in 1845 invoked to restore a monument which still belonged to France.  It had been preserved by France for nearly two centuries, and France wished to return in good condition to the newly reformed Greece. The convent of the Capuchins made this masterpiece of elegance a setting of simple purity, silent activity, and flowering shade. The royal coat of arms of France shone above its entrance. It was the noble sign of this pious European hostel.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cu\u003eLes mots de Laborde, en Français\u003c\/u\u003e: “Les Capucins achetèrent, en 1669, sur l'ancienne voie des Trépieds, le monument choragique de Lysicrate. Le père Simon en fit l'acquisition comme citoyen d'Athènes, et c'est ce titre que la commission des monuments historiques de France invoqua en 1845 pour restaurer un monument qui appartenait encore à la France, qu'elle avait conservé intact aux Beaux-Arts pendant près de deux siècles, et qu'elle voulait rendre en bon état à la Grèce régénérée. Le couvent des Capucins fit à ce chef-d'œuvre d'élégance un cadre de sa propreté simple, de son activité silencieuse, de ses ombrages fleuris. L'écusson royal de France brillait au-dessus de la porte d'entrée. C'était la noble enseigne de cette pieuse hôtellerie européenne.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis print was a commission for the publication below.  Meryon reminisces about the process of creating this etching: “Along with the print of Leroy, which I reduced to the requested size, I had a photograph of this elegant monument to aide me.  My print is made very conscientiously, but too precisely and with lines still too harsh.  In hindsight I realize I could easily have completed it, simply by better modulating certain parts with little additional work.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cu\u003eLes mots de l’artiste, en Français\u003c\/u\u003e: “Avec la pièce de Leroy, que j'ai réduite à la dimension demandée, j'avais pour m'aider à lire la structure première de ce gracieux monument, une photographie prise sur les lieux. Ma gravure est faite avec beaucoup de conscience, mais trop précise et dure encore d'exécution. J'ai vu aussi depuis qu'il m'eût été facile de la compléter, en modelant mieux certaines parties par l'addition de quelques travaux. (Meryon, Mes observations )”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MERYON, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31184380723242,"sku":"","price":1600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2654\/1544\/products\/Charles_Meryon_-_Entree_du_Couvent_des_Capucins_Francais_a_Athenes_-_detail.jpg?v=1576161076"},{"product_id":"lancien-louvre-dapres-une-peinture-de-zeeman","title":"L'ancien Louvre d'après une peinture de Zeeman, 1651","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEtching on thick wove paper.\u003cbr\u003eRefences: Delteil\/Wright 53 v\/vi; Schneiderman 96 v\/vii.\u003cbr\u003eBearing a butterfly stamp (collector's stamp?) in the lower right sheet corner; unidentified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAssorted faint discolorations in the margins; unobtrusive. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MERYON, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44369649991916,"sku":"","price":625.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2654\/1544\/files\/CharlesMERYON-L_AncienLouvreapresunePeinturedeZeemande1651-detail.jpg?v=1706905041"},{"product_id":"la-tour-lhorloge","title":"La Tour de l'Horloge","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEtching with engraving on laid \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJ Kool\u003c\/em\u003e watermarked paper. \u003cbr\u003eReferences: Schneiderman 23 v\/x; Delteil-Wright 28 v\/x. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSuperb impression, before letters, printed with warm plate tone. Traces of the old vertical border line from the fourth state are still visible in the lower plate margin. Overall in excellent condition, aside from some hinge remains in the sheet's edges (see sheet image). \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MERYON, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44370276352236,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2654\/1544\/files\/CharlesMERYON-LaTourl_Horloge-detail.jpg?v=1706933718"},{"product_id":"the-gallery-of-notre-dame-in-paris","title":"The Gallery of Notre-Dame in Paris","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"tab-stops: 315.0pt;\"\u003e\u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003ci style=\"mso-bidi-font-style: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"FR\" style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: FR;\"\u003eLa Galerie, Notre-Dame, Paris \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"FR\" style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: FR;\"\u003e(original French title)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"tab-stops: 315.0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eEtching on laid paper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eReferences: Schneiderman 29 (iii\/vi), Delteil-Wright 26 (iii\/v).\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eThird state, before the monogram in the top left corner of the plate and the change of the address to Delatre's.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"tab-stops: 315.0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eUnidentified collector's mark, red in an oval with perhaps the initial \"R\" and \"P\", lower right sheet corner, verso, bleeding through to the recto.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"tab-stops: 315.0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;\"\u003eA superb impression in excellent condition, of this famous composition by the Impressionist master. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"tab-stops: 315.0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"MERYON, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45621238825196,"sku":"","price":3500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2654\/1544\/files\/CharlesMeryon-LaGalerie_Notre-Dame_Paris-etching-topofthecathedral-detail.jpg?v=1724089768"},{"product_id":"rue-des-chantres","title":"Rue des Chantres","description":"\u003cp\u003eEtching on laid paper, with an unrecognized scrolly coat of arms watermark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReference: Schneiderman 85 v\/vi. Fifth state, with letters. This state is the published one, by Rochoux, Paris. Printed by Pierron, Paris. The printer's initials \"J.B.\" (for Jean Baptiste), can be seen at the top, flanked by two bells from the Notre-Dame carillon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNOTE: The spire in the background was installed as part of Viollet-le-Duc's restoration of the Notre-Dame cathedral, which was started in 1831. The spire itself, however, was only placed in 1859-1860. When Meryon drew this view, it was brand new. Rue des Chantres still exists today and this medieval view onto the spire is unchanged. Meryon was enamored with old Paris, which was being destroyed in part to make way for boulevards, during Hausmann's reshaping of the capital. Many medieval streets were lost, and Meryon keenly depicted those that spoke to him. In this one, the joy of contrast of sharply vertical streets, accentuated by the restoration of the medieval wooden spire by Violet-le-Duc, is fully articulated. There is mess of life at the dark street level, with sailors seemingly arguing with gendarmes, and assorted figures coming and going, including an ominous dark figure leaning against the wall on the left. Looking down the street, the sun shines onto a focal façade, leading the eye up to the rooftops, the spire, and the circling birds in the sky. Meryon could see the irony of his love for the old city darkness and muck, and winks at us with the sign, on the right wall, that reads \"bains de mer\" (sea baths). As if one could escape the fetid city and, in an instant, enjoy an invigorating dip in the sea, staring at a wide horizon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA very fine impression, with crips lines on a beautiful sheet of laid paper. The sheet was trimmed inside the plate mark, likely by a collector who liked the \"old master\" look. Very faint foxing, hardly noticeable in the small margins (not on the verso). One faint small gray stain on the verso, left sheet edge; not showing through to the front. Otherwise in perfect condition. This is one of Meryon's most successful compositions, in our opinion. Showing the Paris he cherished.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MERYON, Charles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47525644402924,"sku":null,"price":1725.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2654\/1544\/files\/CharlesMeryon-RuedesChantres-ViewofNotreDame-detail.jpg?v=1776123049"}],"url":"https:\/\/armstrongfineart.com\/collections\/charles-meryon\/subject_streets-of-paris.oembed","provider":"Armstrong Fine Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}