Artwork
The Printed Work of the Latin Author, Valerius Maximus, Being Presented to King Louis XI
The Printed Work of the Latin Author, Valerius Maximus, Being Presented to King Louis XI is a print by the Impressionist artist Charles Meryon. It dates from 1860 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The setting is an interior space marked by a tiled floor and a distant window, rendered in Meryon’s characteristic linear precision.
Created in 1860, this etching by Charles Meryon portrays a ceremonial moment in which a printed volume of the Latin writer Valerius Maximus is offered to King Louis XI. The composition centers on a seated figure, presumed to be the monarch, surrounded by attendants, one of whom holds out the book. The setting is an interior space marked by a tiled floor and a distant window, rendered in Meryon’s characteristic linear precision.
Subject & Meaning
The image references a historical episode of literary patronage, linking the French Renaissance monarch with the ancient Roman author Valerius Maximus, whose moral anecdotes were widely circulated in early printed editions. By staging this presentation, Meryon underscores the continuity of cultural authority and the prestige attached to the printed word in the fifteenth century.
Technique & Style
Meryon employed etching exclusively, a choice dictated by his colour‑blindness, to achieve a dense network of lines and tonal contrasts. The work relies on chiaroscuro, using stark light‑dark juxtapositions to model forms and suggest depth within the confined interior. Fine hatching creates texture on surfaces such as the tiled floor and the drapery, while the overall composition maintains a disciplined, almost architectural clarity.
History & Provenance
The etching was produced during the later phase of Meryon’s career, a period when he focused on historical and literary subjects rather than his earlier Parisian cityscapes. Though celebrated in France as the pre‑eminent etcher of the nineteenth century, his reputation remained modest in Anglophone circles. The print has passed through several private collections before entering its present institutional holding.
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.
The Betrothal of Margaret of Austria to Philip III, King of Spain
Margaret of Austria Giving Audience to a Nobleman![The Betrothal of Margaret of Austria to Philip III, King of Spain [verso], by Raffaello Schiaminossi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/raffaello-schiaminossi--the-betrothal-of-margaret-of-austria-to-philip-iii-king-of-s--509229b9feb3b80f-w320.webp)
The Betrothal of Margaret of Austria to Philip III, King of Spain [verso]
Papal Audience
Italian Prince before Margaret of Austria
Grand Duchess at the Procession of the Young Girls
Italian Prince before Margaret of Austria
Grand Duchess at the Procession of the Young Girls
Passion Set: Christ before Herod
Margaret of Austria Receiving the Homage of Cardinals and Prelates![Margaret of Austria Giving Audience to a Nobleman [verso], by Raffaello Schiaminossi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/raffaello-schiaminossi--margaret-of-austria-giving-audience-to-a-nobleman-verso--86ac2347af277f00-w320.webp)
Margaret of Austria Giving Audience to a Nobleman [verso]
Présentation du Valère Maxime au Rois Louis XI (The Printer Valerius Maximus Being Presented to King Louis XI)