The Monuments of Paris
After Hubert Robert French
Régine Carey German, born Nuremberg
Not on view
Regine Carrey, also known as Regina Katharina, was an talented printmaker especially accomplished in aquatint. She was born in Nuremberg and trained with Johann and Maria Catharine Prestel, pioneers of the technique in Germany.
Executed during the years she spent in Paris, this print is based on a composition by Hubert Robert (1733-1808). Dated 1789, Robert's painting is a capriccio envisioning great monuments of Paris in an imaginary setting. Carey's print was apparently made after Robert's death as it bears a dedication to Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger brother, described with a title (Constable) that he was awarded in 1810.
The composition has been tweaked to pay homage to the achievements of the Napoleonic era. The equestrian statue of Louis XIII by Pierre Biard has been replaced with the Lion of Venice, a sculpture looted by Napoleon in 1797 and brought to embellish the French capital and sympolize military triumphs. Exacty when and how this change was introduced is unclear as no later version by Robert has survived.
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