Paris in the Snow, Viewed from the Tower of Saint-Gervais, 1890
Auguste Louis Lepèreexpand_more
Wood engraving on Japanese-style paperexpand_more
Bequest of Harry Drakeexpand_more 2013.35.586
Not on Viewexpand_more
Auguste Lepère climbed the tower of St. Gervais church to capture this vast, wintry view of Paris. To the right is the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, whose spire and roof recently burned. The cathedral dominates Île de la Cité (Island of the City), the oldest section of Paris. At left is a bridge leading to Paris’s other island, Île-St.-Louis. The large dome on the horizon is the Panthéon. Originally built as a church, it is now a mausoleum where famous French citizens are buried.
One of Lepère’s greatest contributions to art was the revival of woodcut printmaking as a fine art. Specifically, he was an extraordinary skilled wood-engraver, which involves carving very fine lines on blocks of dense, hard wood. Soon he would free himself to make broader, looser marks on softer, less-demanding wood, as seen in other prints in this exhibition.
Details
- Title
- Paris in the Snow, Viewed from the Tower of Saint-Gervais
- Artist Life
- Paris 1849–Domme, Dordogne 1918
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.35.586
- Provenance
- [Richard Reed Armstrong Fine Art, Chicago, until 1996; sold in April for NKOO, to Drake]; Harry Drake, St. Paul (1996-d. 2012; bequeathed to MIA)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Lotz-Brissonneau 230
- Curator Approved
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