Portrait of Charles Meryon

Félix Bracquemond|Charles Meryon

1853 · Etching; first state of two · Drawings and Prints

Portraiture was a common means of showing friendship and respect among artists. Printmaking was especially well suited to this practice owing to its small scale, comparatively low production cost, and privately viewable format. Bracquemond represented Meryon twice during his prolific career, commemorating the friendship that he shared with the elder artist. The first of these prints, this etching originally belonged to a series of portraits Bracquemond produced for personal interest rather than exhibition or sale. Meryon is shown at the height of his career and looks toward the viewer with a direct and sober gaze that suggests respectability. The expressive style, produced with spare but clear lines, suggests that the work is as much a statement on the professional status of its producer as its subject.

Artist

Félix Bracquemond|Charles Meryon

Date

1853

Medium

Etching; first state of two

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Harold K. Hochschild, 1940