Adolphe Martial Potémont

Adolphe Martial Potémont was an artist and printmaker active between 1860 and 1873, focusing primarily on the medium of etching. His documented artistic activity, spanning just over a decade, included both the creation of scenic and architectural images and the authorship of theoretical texts related to graphic processes.

Potémont’s works demonstrate a precise technical command of etching. Among the notable works represented in museum collections are the print Old Oaks at Bas Bréau and the architectural study Headquarters of the Société des Aquafortistes. His comprehensive involvement with the medium is further evidenced by his instructional book, Letter on the Elements of Etching (Lettre sur les éléments de la gravure à l'eau-forte), which provides insight into the nineteenth-century practice of printmaking.

Ten works by Potémont, consisting of nine prints and one book, are preserved in major American collections. These holdings, which include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago, ensure the survival of museum-quality examples of his graphic output. The accessibility of these historical Adolphe Martial Potémont prints for study is enhanced as many works from this period enter the public domain.