Artwork
Etchings of Paris: The Apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame
Etchings of Paris: The Apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame is a print by the Impressionist artist Charles Meryon. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1854, this etching by Charles Meryon captures a panoramic view of the Seine where the unfinished apse of Notre‑Dame rises behind a bustling riverside scene. The composition juxtaposes the monumental, scaffold‑clad cathedral with everyday activity—horse‑drawn wagons, pedestrians, and small boats—rendered in delicate line work that suggests depth and atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
Meryon focuses on the transitional moment of construction, emphasizing the cathedral’s incomplete towers and the surrounding urban life. By placing ordinary figures and vessels against the backdrop of the Gothic structure, the image reflects his fascination with the coexistence of historic ambition and contemporary Parisian vitality.
Technique & Style
The print relies exclusively on etching, a choice dictated by Meryon’s colour‑blindness. Fine, cross‑hatched lines model light and shadow, giving the stone façades and river surface a three‑dimensional quality. The precision of the architectural details contrasts with looser, atmospheric strokes that convey movement along the bridge and riverbank.
History & Provenance
Part of a series of Notre‑Dame views, this work belongs to Meryon’s most celebrated output, produced during a period marked by his mental health struggles. Despite personal difficulties, the series secured his reputation within 19th‑century French printmaking and continues to be cited as a key example of his Gothic‑inflected vision of the city.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Meryon (sometimes Méryon, 23 November 1821 – 14 February 1868) was a French artist who worked almost entirely in etching, as he had colour blindness.
Etchings of Paris: The Apsis of the Cathedral of Notre Dame
L'abside de Notre-Dame de Paris (The Apse of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris)
L'abside de Notre-Dame de Paris (The Apse of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris)
Etchings of Paris: An Arch of the Notre Dame Bridge
Etchings of Paris: Le Petit Pont
L'abside de Notre-Dame de Paris (The Apse ofthe Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris)
Etchings of Paris: The Exchange Bridge