La Rue de la Vieille Lanterne: The Suicide of Gérard de Nerval - Gustave Doré

Art Institute of Chicago, public domain

"La Rue de la Vieille Lanterne: The Suicide of Gérard de Nerval" by Gustave Doré (1855) Lithograph in black on light gray China paper laid down on white wove paper.

Commentary

"La Rue de la Vieille Lanterne: The Suicide of Gérard de Nerval" by Gustave Doré (1855) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do mos t of the expressive work. Themes to notice include lithograph. This piece is held in Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection. Gustave Doré is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Gustave Doré French, 1832-1883. The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as lithograph, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Lithograph in black on light gray China paper laid down on white wove paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image/chine: 50.2 × 34.3 cm (19 13/16 × 13 9/16 in.); Sheet: 57.6 × 40 cm (22 11/16 × 15 3/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include lithograph. Compare this reading with the museum record at Art Institute of Chicago: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/105494

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data