Evariste Boulay-Paty

Art Historical Context

This intimate etching by Charles Meryon captures Evariste Boulay-Paty in profile, a format that emphasizes the sitter’s distinctive features with quiet dignity. Created in 1861, the small print measures just over four inches square, inviting close viewing that rewards attention to every fine line. Meryon, celebrated for his precise urban views of Paris, here turns his etching needle toward portraiture, translating the crisp contours often seen in sculpted medallions into delicate printed form. Etching on laid paper allowed Meryon to achieve remarkable clarity and tonal subtlety within a compa...

About the Artist

Charles Meryon|Evariste Boulay-Paty|Pierre Jean David d'Angers · 1821–1868

Charles Meryon, born on November 23, 1821, in Paris, was the illegitimate son of English physician Dr. Charles Lewis Meryon and dancer Pierre-Narcisse Chaspoux (stage name Narcisse Gentil) at the Paris Opéra. His half-sister Fanny, from his mother's prior relationship with Viscount Lowther, remained in contact after their mother's death in 1838. Raised partly outside Paris before attending Pension...