About this work

The image features a riverside scene with a large building in the center and smaller structures in the background. The sky is filled with clouds, and there are boats on the water. The artwork is done in an etching style, with detailed lines showing architectural elements, boats, and water ripples. The color scheme is monochromatic in shades of brown and black.

Description from the National Gallery of Art.

Charles Meryon drew this in 1866, aged 45. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

How it was made

Etching: The artist draws with a needle through a waxy coating on a copper plate, and acid bites the exposed lines. The plate is then inked, wiped and printed under pressure, so the line keeps the freedom of drawing.
Graphite: Pencil. Graphite has been used for drawing since the 1500s; in 1795 Nicolas-Jacques Conté mixed it with clay, so its hardness could be graded.

Charles Meryon

French, 1821–1868

See all 2 works by Charles Meryon

Rights and the museum’s record

Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.

Object number: 1968.15.1
Credit: Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
Type: Print
Licence: CC0 1.0 Universal
Museum record: See it on the museum’s site

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