Tijdelijke voetgangersbrug op plaats van Pont-au-Change na de brand van 1621 in Parijs

About this artwork

Gepubliceerd in: Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1 november 1860, tegenover p. 156. Kopie naar tekening toegeschreven aan Stefano della Bella, verblijfplaats onbekend (De Groot 1991, p. 70).

Art Historical Context

Step into 17th-century Paris with Charles Meryon's *Tijdelijke voetgangers op plaats van Pont-auChange na de brand van1621 in Parijs* (Temporary Pedestrian Bridge at the Site of Pont-au-Change after the 1621 Fire in), a delicate etching from 1860 This compact work (118 × 226 mm) captures a makeshift wooden bridge hastily erected over the Seine after the devastating fire that destroyed the historic Pont-au-Change, a vital medieval crossing linking the city's bustling right and left banks. Meryon, a master etcher renowned for his hauntingly precise views of old Paris in the *Eaux-Fortes sur Paris* series, revives this long-lost moment, blending Romantic nostalgia with meticulous detail. Created as a copy after a drawing attributed to the Italian artist Stefano della Bella—who sojourned in Paris during the 1640s—Meryon's etching showcases the medium's power for intricate line work and tonal depth. Etching allowed him to render the bridge's precarious scaffolding, crowded figures, and smoky aftermath with exquisite clarity, evoking the fragility of urban life amid disaster. Published in the prestigious *Gazette des Beaux-Arts* on November 1, 1860 (opposite p. 156), it bridged 19th-century audiences to a pivotal era of Parisian reconstruction, highlighting how fires repeatedly reshaped the city's iconic skyline before Haussmann's modern overhaul. A testament to art's role in preserving history, this piece invites us to ponder resilience amid ruin.

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...