La Rue de la Vieille Lanterne: The Suicide of Gérard de Nerval 1855

Curator: This lithograph, etching and engraving on paper, created around 1855, is entitled "La Rue de la Vieille Lanterne: The Suicide of Gérard de Nerval", conceived by Gustave Doré. Editor: My immediate response is a kind of desolate awe. The textures feel abrasive, reflecting the gruesomeness of the subject matter but also, perhaps, the unforgiving city. Curator: Doré, primarily known for his book illustrations, made this haunting image to commemorate the death of the poet Gérard de Nerval, who was found hanged in this Parisian street. Think about the socio-political context in the wake of the 1848 revolution – disillusionment, urban poverty... Editor: It’s the sharp contrast between the detail in the lower half, showing Nerval's body, and the swirling, almost ethereal scene above that really gets me. There is the body depicted but also an imagined spirit ascending upward. It seems less about documenting an event and more about a constructed visual commentary on trauma. Curator: Precisely. The medium itself speaks to that trauma. Printmaking at this time, while becoming more industrialized, was still reliant on skilled labor. Etching and engraving are physically demanding and precise, the lines themselves carrying an emotional weight, indicative of romanticism. And this print was disseminated widely, becoming part of the cultural understanding of Nerval’s tragic story and, inevitably, its commodification. Editor: What about the role of the institution? This work, now hanging in The Art Institute of Chicago, reframes the way we look back on romanticism itself. Originally created for popular consumption, through reproductive print technologies. This is now something that is being encountered as a unique, collectible art piece in this cultural place. Curator: Indeed, the museum context elevates it while simultaneously distancing us from its original purpose and audience. However, it's precisely through considering these varied forms of cultural and artistic production that we understand the complexity inherent within Doré's memorial to Nerval. Editor: This image provides, at the same time, a moment to reflect not only the artistry and means behind production, but also consider society’s shifting values when approaching these historical and politically charged moments.