Rébus: "Béranger ne fut véritablement fort, car il n'eut jamais la clef des champs" (Rebus: "Beranger was not really strong, for he never had the key of the fields")

Charles Meryon

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of various objects and scenes along with some text. The central elements of the drawing include a bird standing on a patch of ground and a column of poetry comparing the bird to an influential figure. Below that, several sketched images are arranged in a vertical sequence, including wooden posts, a table set with a cloth bearing the text "RESTAURATEUR EN RENOM DU PALAIS ROYAL," and a star-shaped fort labeled "PAYS DES POULARDS." A barrel with the label "PIÈCE DE SALAISON," a solitary figure next to a tree, and various contraptions also populate the image. The bottom portion of the drawing contains a set of arrangements reminiscent of a telescope or a surveying tool alongside a list mentioning various types of chants, including "CHANTS RUSTIQUES ET MARITIMES" and "MARSEILLAISE." The names "VIRGILE" and "HOMERE" are inscribed.