The Vampire, 1853
Charles Meryon; Printer: Auguste Delâtreexpand_more
Etching printed in brown with plate toneexpand_more
The William M. Ladd Collection Gift of Herschel V. Jones, 1916expand_more P.3,007
Not on Viewexpand_more
From his perch high atop Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, this gargoyle lusts after the city's blood. Such was the vision of the print's creator, Charles Meryon. Disturbed by the city's rapid modernization in the 1850s, Meryon saw the vampire as a symbol of stupidity, cruelty, lust, and hypocrisy. The Paris he surveys is not the "city of light," but rather a forbidding place of blackened windows, shadowy streets, and ominous black birds. Meryon's dark visions foreshadowed his eventual collapse into mental illness, which prematurely ended the career of one of the era's most gifted printmakers.
Details
- Title
- The Vampire
- Artist Life
- 1821-1868
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.3,007
- Provenance
- William M. Ladd
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Delteil 23 v/viii
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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