Tourelle, rue de la Tixéranderie - Charles Meryon

A detailed 1852 etching by Charles Meryon, capturing the architectural character of a medieval turret in old Paris.

Charles Meryon produced this etching as part of his celebrated series, Eaux-fortes sur Paris. The work depicts a medieval turret, or tourelle, situated on the rue de la Tixéranderie in Paris. Meryon possessed a singular ability to capture the decaying architecture of old Paris, a city then undergoing rapid transformation under Baron Haussmann. His approach to the medium of etching is precise: he employs a rigorous system of cross-hatching to define the textures of weathered stone, timber, and the atmospheric smoke rising from the chimneys.

The composition focuses on the verticality of the turret, which stands in contrast to the surrounding urban density. Meryon balances the heavy, solid forms of the masonry with the delicate, linear quality of his mark-making. Small figures occupy the street level, providing a sense of scale and human presence within the historic environment. The work avoids idealisation, choosing instead to document the specific character of a structure that was soon to be demolished.

Technically, the etching demonstrates Meryon's mastery of light and shadow. The deep blacks of the recessed doorways and the sharp highlights on the turret walls create a sense of volume and physical presence. This print offers a window into the mid-nineteenth-century Parisian aesthetic, where the tension between preservation and modernisation defined the urban experience. Meryon's work remains a primary visual record of the architectural history of the city, rendered with a disciplined hand and an observant eye for detail.