Portrait of Charles Meryon
Maker
Félix Bracquemond
(French, 1833-1914)
Date1853 (this impression 1884)
MediumHeliogravure etching on wove paper
DimensionsPlate: 7-3/4 x 5-5/8 in. (19.7 x 14.3 cm)
Sheet: 10-3/8 x 6-3/8 in. (26.4 x 16.2 cm)
Sheet: 10-3/8 x 6-3/8 in. (26.4 x 16.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of Brenda F. and Joseph V. Smith
Collections
Object number2003.32
Status
Not on viewCharles Meryon (1821–1868) was a prolific draughtsman and etcher, but also a very troubled individual. Beset throughout his life with delusions and paranoia, he was nevertheless recognized by critics such as Charles Baudelaire (1821–1867) for his great talent. Another celebrated etcher, Félix Bracquemond, completed this portrait of his friend roughly five years before Meryon’s first confinement to an insane asylum. Something of the mental intensity of the sitter comes through in Bracquemond’s rendition of Meryon, whose dark eyes and unkempt hair give him a wild appearance. The sketchiness of this portrait suggests the familiarity of the two artists.
