The puny Cryptogamia 1860

Editor: This is "The puny Cryptogamia," an etching by Charles Meryon from 1860, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It looks almost like a surrealist cartoon, and the lines give it this slightly sinister quality despite being just a plant. How do you read this piece? Curator: The sinuous lines immediately capture my attention. Notice how Meryon uses etching to create a tonal range, almost like an impasto effect despite being a print. The form, this 'puny Cryptogamia,' tied in on itself and thrust into the foreground of the frame, is also quite captivating; how the knotted stem defies a naturalistic rendering and hints at confinement and an air of morbidity. Does its deviation from the natural pique your interest? Editor: It definitely does. It’s odd, the way it seems both organic and strangely constrained. The tight knot at the top contrasts sharply with the wild, undefined background. Curator: Precisely! Meryon expertly contrasts defined form and ambiguous background to guide our sight. His strategic and purposeful compositional choice generates a tension in the etching's internal space. Look at the layering of the lines. Do you see how some sections are much denser than others? Editor: Yes, especially within the tangled knot and the shadows that give shape to the primary botanical figure. Curator: That density lends itself to the form’s texture, creating depth and accentuating its odd physicality. By confining most lines in the foreground to be darker and more deliberately oriented around the primary shape, Meryon creates a clear visual hierarchy which demands contemplation of our peculiar subject. The technique almost abstracts its subject. What do you think he’s inviting us to consider? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about that before, I just found the etching to be strangely amusing, but now I see a deliberateness to Meryon’s artistry which prompts a more sophisticated meditation. Curator: Absolutely, by analyzing Meryon’s strategic use of the formal qualities available, such as composition and technique, we are challenged to transcend simple observation.