Lacy Murphy, PhD candidate in the Department of Art History and Archaeology in Arts & Sciences, considers the etchings of French printmaker Charles Méryon, which celebrate the maze-like anarchy of the Ile de la Cité in 19th-century Paris on the eve of Georges-Eugène Haussmann's massive urban renewal project. Through the etchings, the city is able to boldly assert itself, offering one final stand on the eve of certain destruction.

Image Credit

Charles Méryon (French, 1821–1868), L'abside de Notre Dame, 1854. Etching, 12 3/16 x 18". Gift of Dr. Malvern B. Clopton, 1930.