Gothic Soul: Charles Meryon

Gothic Soul will focus on the tumultuous life and work of Charles Meryon (1821-1868), a French artist who devoted himself to etching after discovering he was color blind. The illegitimate son of a dancer in the Paris Opéra and an English physician, Meryon pursued a career in the French Navy, where he learned to draw. 

This exhibition will present a sweeping view of his oeuvre, from etchings of the South Pacific, inspired by his travels as a naval officer, to now-iconic depictions of Paris during the Gothic Revival. 

Over 30 works will be on view, the majority on loan from a private collector, and a small catalogue will accompany the exhibition. Telfair’s permanent collection works, including a selection of reproductions of Meryon’s etchings of Paris, gifted to the United States by the French nation after World War II, will also be displayed.

Credit: Overview from museum website

Image credit: Charles Meryon; 'L’Abside Notre-Dame,' 1853; on loan from a private collection