San Francisco.

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Charles Meryon
San Francisco.
1856

About the Item

MERYON Charles Paris 1821 † Saint-Maurice (Seine) 1868 San Francisco. 1856. Original copper plate etched, beveled, bow angle. H240xL1010mm. Delteil, n°73. Schneiderman, n°54. Provenance: Old printing company Salmon, Paris. We join a proof of the late state (IV/IV) (with letter), on Japan paper, print at A. Delâtre’s house, rue du Fbg Poissonière, 145, in Paris and one late impression on wove paper. Both with title and date engraved in Roman numbers in central shelf. The plate was ordered for 1200 francs by Jules Beyerque et François-Alfred Pioche, specialists of the real estate business. That was their portrait and initial we see in the shelf. It seems that this etching was destinate to push a fraudulent project to sell shares in a fictive franco-californienne company. They also ask two projects of stocks bill for this fictive company. In april 1856, Meryon wrote a letter to his father and said: « I am still working on my view of San Francisco. I am adding to it some work which is intended to colour it; I shall therefore soon give it a secondary bite for which I shall still need a fair amount of attention, as well as a little luck. This will be the work that will have cost me the strongest emotions. » At the same time (december 1855), Charles was declared as « completely crazy ». Around september 1856, in a letter without date, Meryon desribe all the pain this work gave to him at his father: « I have already told you about it: it is a large view of San Francisco, the drawing of which was given to me in five juxtaposed daguerreotype prints. As these proofs were difficult to connect both because of the deviation of the lines and the confusion that always exists at the limits, it took me an incredible amount of trouble to make a single, correct drawing. ». The little daguerreotype plates had a bad connection, cause the operator take them, according to the artist, at different times of the day. He continues his letter by explaining that in order to had a lot of proof, with delicacy and enough details, he decided for the first time to engrave on a plate of steel. Finaly, Meryon wrote in march 1857: “… I have finished my view of San Francisco to my great relief (...) my perseverance has been followed by an unexpected success...” "So, this etching of San Francisco represents a year's work by one of the greatest engravers of the French school (...) Four of the preliminary drawings are at the Art Institute of Chicago.” (Jean Ducros, Charles Meryon, officier de marine, peintre-graveur, 1821-1868, cat. d’exposition, musée de la marine, Paris, octobre, 1968-janvier 1969, n°764). ------------------------------------ All items are sent by DHL well packed Taxes and customs fees are payable by the buyers.

Creator:
Charles Meryon (1821-1868, French)
Creation Year:
1856
Dimensions:
Height: 9.45 in (24 cm)Width: 39.77 in (101 cm)
Medium:
Copper,Steel
Period:
1850-1859
Condition:
Gallery Location:
PARIS, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2507212156252