MERYON, CHARLES (1821-68), a French artist, was born in Paris, his father being an English doctor and his mother a Parisian dancer. On her death he entered the French Naval School at Brest (1837) and in 1841 was appointed to a warship in which he saw the East. He was then commissioned as a first-class pupil in the corvette Le Rhin, in which he made a voyage round the world. Already trained as a draughtsman, he made pencil sketches of scenery in New Zealand, notably at Banks Peninsula, where the Rhin was stationed for some time from 1842. He took a room on shore to enable him to study history, politics, drawing and painting. After 1846, when he had left the sea, he was able to make use of his sketches in the production of an important series of etchings intended to illustrate the voyage. His four principal views of Akaroa were etched after 1860. It was owing to being colour blind that Meryon devoted himself to etching, which he studied under Bléry. For practice he made studies after Dutch etchers, especially Zeeman and Adrian van de Velde. Always in indigent circumstances, he was unable to maintain himself by his art and had to do irksome manual labour. Between 1850 and 1854 he made the series Eaux-fortes sur Paris which, however, were never published as a series.

Though a master etcher, Meryon was not appreciated, and had to sell his plates for a few francs. He was at home with every style of architecture and of grey and lowering skies such as hang over cities, but he drew trees and foliage indifferently. Meryon died in a madhouse at Charenton in 1868, after having in despair damaged many of his plates.

Old Paris (etchings by Meryon, with essay by P. G. Hamerton, 1914); Joan Haslip, Lady Hester Stanhope, 1934; Dora Wilcox in United Empire; The Press and New Zealand Times; Art in New Zealand, Mar 1930; Nouveau Larousse Illustré; Encycl. Brit., 14th ed.

Reference: Volume 2, page 44

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