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The Petit Pont
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Charles Meryon used etching—a technique that involves drawing on a printing plate with a needle’s point—to create minutely detailed images of Paris that imaginatively present recognizable sites. This print features <em>bateaux-lavoirs</em> (wash boats) on the Seine River, where laundresses could purchase a spot to do their washing. The boats appealed to Meryon, who was fascinated by Paris’s gradual transformation. Since they attracted crowds of working-class women, administrators considered the boats unsightly and unhygienic, repeatedly pushing them closer to the city’s outskirts until few remained by the end of the 1800s.
| Artist / Maker | Charles Méryon |
|---|---|
| Date | 1850 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | etching with engraving |
| Dimensions | Sheet: 26.4 x 19.6 cm (10 3/8 x 7 11/16 in.); Image: 24.6 x 18.8 cm (9 11/16 x 7 3/8 in.) |
| Department | Prints |
| Type |
About the Artist
BiographyCharles Méryon (1821–1868) — French artist (1821-1868).Charles Méryon worked as painter, naval officer, etcher, draftsperson, graphic artist and engraver and is associated with France. Their documented life spans the years 1821 to 1868, born in Paris, died in Saint-Maurice.Disciplinespainter, naval officer, etcher, draftsperson, graphic artist, engraverBorn1821, ParisDied1868, Saint-MauriceNationalityFranceSources: Wikidata · Wikipedia Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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