La Pompe Notre-Dame

A view of Paris in the mid-nineteenth century: what catches the eye is the Pompe Notre-Dame, an old pumping station. It stands out against the light imposingly. Behind it the buildings along the Seine and the Marché aux Fleurs are visible and, a little further on, the towers of Notre-Dame. In the foreground fishermen are busy with their nets. Closer to the quay, a boat with anglers bobs on the water. In the left foreground, by the posts of the pumping station, rowing boats are moored. The fishermens and boats give the townscape a lively appearance. This etchingEtchingAn etching is in fact a print of a design etched into a metal plate. This is obtained as follows. A smooth metal plate (usually copper) is coated with etching-ground, an acid-resistant mixture of wax, resin and asphalt. The design is scratched into this coating with a needle, exposing the metal beneath. The plate is then immersed in an acid bath, in which the mordant bites into the exposed metal, etching in the lines of the design. The finished plate is then coated with ink, which fills the lines. By pressing the plate onto a surface, the design is transferred. A single plate can be used for between 50 and 200 prints. The earliest etching in existence dates from 1513. is by Charles Meryon and dates from 1852. It is one of the prints in the collection 'Eaux-fortes sur Paris', a series of etchings of the old city centre.