College Henri IV 1863

Charles Meryon made this drawing of College Henri IV in 1863. Though it may look like a quick sketch, don’t be fooled: Meryon was a highly skilled printmaker, celebrated for his detailed etchings of Parisian architecture. He used a needle to incise an image into a metal plate, which was then inked and pressed onto paper, yielding a precise, repeatable picture. While this drawing on paper is not itself a print, you can see Meryon working out his design with the same level of care. He coaxes a wide range of tonal effects out of the humble pencil, giving a real sense of the weight and texture of the stone buildings. Look closely, and you can see the underlying grid that he used to keep his perspective accurate – a technique common to both drawing and printmaking. By combining these graphic skills with an appreciation for the built environment, Meryon elevated a common scene into a work of high art. It's a good reminder that we should always look closely at the art that surrounds us, especially that which might appear ordinary at first glance.