Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, Paris (Church of St. Stephen of the Mount, Paris)

Art Historical Context

Step into the intricate world of 19th-century Paris with Charles Meryon's *Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, Paris (Church of St. Stephen of the Mount, Paris, an exquisite etching from 1852 Meryon, a pioneering French printmaker often hailed as the "etcher of Paris," captured soaring Gothic spires and Renaissance details of this historic church near the Panthéon. Created during a time of urban transformation under Napoleon III, the work preserves the medieval charm of old Paris just before Baron Haussmann's sweeping boulevards reshaped the city. Rendered in etching on rare green laid paper—a technique where acid bites precise lines into a metal plate—Meryon's mastery shines in the delicate interplay of light and shadow. The modest plate size (24.5 × 12.8 cm) invites intimate viewing, with the tinted paper enhancing atmospheric depth and a subtle, otherworldly glow. Part of his seminal *Eaux-Fortes sur Paris* series, this print exemplifies Meryon's realist precision fused with romantic vision, influencing later artists like Whistler. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift from R. Horace Gallatin (Department CG-E), it reminds us of Paris's layered history and the enduring power of printmaking to freeze time. A true gem for lovers of architectural beauty and technical virtuosity! (198 words)

About the Artist

Charles Meryon · 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...