La Loi Solaire 1800 - 1900

Charles Meryon produced “La Loi Solaire,” or “The Solar Law,” as an etching sometime in the mid-19th century. It features meticulously inscribed text and a small illustration of a lamp at the bottom. This work can be interpreted within the context of 19th-century Paris and its burgeoning artistic and intellectual circles. Meryon's choice of etching, a medium that allows for detailed line work and tonal variations, reflects the period's interest in both precision and expressiveness. The lamp motif is particularly resonant given Paris’s reputation as the ‘City of Light’. The artist was known for his mental instability and this piece reflects this. It’s an allegory, a commentary on an enlightened future. The writing, a poem of the artist’s creation, speaks of a new moral code. To truly understand Meryon and his art, one might explore resources like his personal correspondence, contemporary art criticism, and sociological studies of 19th-century Parisian society. By combining such research with close visual analysis, we can uncover the complex interplay of personal experience, cultural values, and institutional forces that shaped Meryon's work.