Same subject
Charles Baudelaire
Title
Etchings of Paris: The Little Bridge, 1850. Creator: Charles Meryon (French, 1821-1868).
Caption
Etchings of Paris: The Little Bridge, 1850. Although Meryon made the first study for this scene with a camera lucida (an apparatus containing a prism or an arrangement of mirrors that reflects the image on a surface so that its outlines may be traced), the artist then made changes to improve the composition?extending the height of the towers of Notre-Dame, for instance. Meryon did not mean his plates to have the precision of a photograph. Rather, he combined two views?a sketch from a low point at the water's edge and a view from the parapet?which, although not totally accurate, are believable. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) reported in a letter that he discussed this print with the artist who claimed "that the shadow cast by a portion of the stonework on the side wall of the Pont Neuf looked exactly like the profile of a sphinx; that this was entirely coincidence on his part and only later did he take note of this peculiarity."
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art
Reference
HRM19F80_143
Model release
NA
Property release
NA
License type
Rights managed
Available size
57,0Mb (6,4Mb) / 12,6in x 17,5in / 3784 x 5262 (300dpi)