CHARLES MERYON
1821 Paris 1868
57 L’Abside de Notre Dame. 1854 Etching. 16.7 x 29.8 cm Delteil-Wright 38/IV (of VIII); Schneiderman 45/IV (of IX) Provenance: Dr. S. W. Pelletier (Lugt 4193)
The striking view of the eastern side of Notre Dame Cathedral, which serves as the conclusion and climax of the “Eaux-fortes sur Paris,” in a splendid impression from the 4 th state. Published in 1854, with the artist’s name, the date, and the address along the lower edge, but prior to the title and subsequent revisions. As with all of the copies printed up until 1855 in collaboration with A. Delâtre, displaying a fine, deliberately applied plate tone, i.e. on the wall of the quay and the roof of the cathedral apse, where the delicate film of printing ink has been removed, and where the muted daylight is marvelously ref lected. Meryon’s preparatory works date from the years 1853–54, during which Violet- le-Duc resumed work on his vast restoration project on the Cathedral of Paris. Rendered with detailed precision and an emphasis on monumentality is the architectural situation after completion of the southern facade with the treasury, and prior to the erection of the crossing tower with spire. With Meryon’s consent, P. Burty cites Victor Hugo’s novel Notre-Dame de Paris of 1831 as a spiritual parallel: Cette vue de Notre-Dame, – dit-il, – es tun aspect magistral. L’église de Notre-Dame semble d’aillleurs avoir exercé une grande attraction sur l’esprit rêveur de l’artiste. Elle avait dicté à un poète un des plus beaux livres de notre génération, elle a inspiré à Meryon sa plus belle planche.
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