An Old House, or The Musician's House, Bourges 1860

Curator: Look at the light in this, the way it carves out such character in such ordinary subjects. Editor: It's kind of haunted, isn't it? Beautifully, meticulously haunted. Curator: Indeed. This etching is "An Old House, or The Musician's House, Bourges," crafted by Charles Meryon in 1860, you can currently find this print at The Met. Meryon, fascinating figure, captured not just a building, but the very spirit of old Bourges. He felt it deeply, it was the subject of many prints, as you can see. Editor: The lean, that roofline practically collapsing, but somehow still so robust? I find that intensely compelling—how something aged can remain so striking. Do you think he made it this way to signal how life also is; broken but keeps walking? Curator: I believe Meryon was profoundly concerned with time and history. The textures alone of the aged timber tell a story. Also, these were subjects he felt very personal about; Meryon felt empathy towards vulnerable people and objects. This place also represented a kind of pre-Haussmann, about-to-disappear memory. Editor: I see that so evidently—the details, they’re like carefully chosen words in an ode, and the composition as a whole reflects how important it was to document things; to be accurate and sincere. There are several barrels that appear to sit empty, in front of the entrance. Are they waiting to be filled? Or are they from another era already? Curator: That's where his brilliance lies: in the ambiguity. Look closer—are they symbols of the past about to crumble or relics ready to continue and survive into modernity? They are containers. Meryon lets the viewer decide. The Romantic and Realist elements at play invite each of us into his private feeling of nostalgia, and even fear of change, for a passing culture. Editor: The symbolism woven through this is quite something, offering so many ways to understand its narrative and the life lessons within, with a beautiful aftertaste to ponder and chew over later on. Curator: Indeed, an ode to a place and time, leaving a beautiful melancholy trace behind.