Boulevard Henri IV (de la rue de Sully) (fourth arrondissement)

ca. 1877
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 691
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
This desolate space was in the process of being transformed into one of the most magnificent boulevards in Paris, cutting a long
vista between the Panthéon and the July Column (a monument commemorating the revolution of 1830). In Marville’s photograph, the column appears as a mirage hovering in the middle distance, separated from the viewer by scarred earth, half-demolished buildings, and a team of complacent horses awaiting orders.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Boulevard Henri IV (de la rue de Sully) (fourth arrondissement)
  • Artist: Charles Marville (French, Paris 1813–1879 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1877
  • Medium: Albumen silver print from glass negative
  • Dimensions:

    image: 24 x 36.4 cm (9 7/16 x 14 5/16 in.)

  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Musée Carnavalet, Paris
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs