Adolphe Martial POTEMONT (1828-1883) - Lot 356

Adolphe Martial POTEMONT (1828-1883) "RIVIÈRE DE BIÈVRE", circa 1862 Etching on paper printed by Beillet quai de la Tournelle 38 x 23 cm view History: This series of etchings, produced between 1843 and 1866 by Martial Potémont, is a precious record of Paris before and during the great transformations of the 19th century. Through the addresses, names and dates associated with the twelve former arrondissements that no longer exist, the artist carefully records the city's unique and picturesque features. These notes complete a work of memory, in a context marked by the upheavals carried out under the authority of Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Paris became a major source of inspiration for artists. While Charles Meryon remains the most famous figure, other engravers such as Martial, hailed by Loys Delteil in his Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, took part in this enterprise of memory. Where some exalted incipient modernity, Martial chose to preserve the memory of an ancient Paris, vibrant with forgotten stories and details. The print presented here stands out as a rare representation of the Bièvre River at a time when it had not yet been covered over: the river flows freely through Paris, a precious testimony to an urban landscape that has now disappeared.