The Palace of Justice, Seen from the Notre-Dame Bridge, 1899
Auguste Louis Lepèreexpand_more
Color woodcut on Japanese-style paperexpand_more
Bequest of Harry Drakeexpand_more 2013.35.628
Not on Viewexpand_more
Puddles still dot the pavement, but the rain has stopped and the skies have cleared just in time for sunset. The bridge beyond, with its double-decker buses being drawn by horses, is the Pont au Change, or Bridge of The Exchange. Its name dates back to the 1100s, when King Louis VII required anyone entering the city—and this was the only route—to exchange their foreign money. The silhouetted complex in the distance is the Palace of Justice.
With its subtle, blended, liquid colors printed on smooth, lustrous paper, this woodcut displays Auguste Lepère’s mastery of techniques derived from Japanese woodcuts, which were enormously popular in France during the later 1800s. It especially recalls the work of Utagawa Hiroshige, whose atmospheric compositions often involved figures crossing bridges (Mia 17.205.55).
Details
- Title
- The Palace of Justice, Seen from the Notre-Dame Bridge
- Artist Life
- Paris 1849–Domme, Dordogne 1918
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.35.628
- Provenance
- [Judith L. Pillsbury, Paris, until 2000; sold in May for PTOOO to Drake]; Harry Drake, St. Paul (2000-d. 2012; bequeathed to MIA)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Lotz-Brissonneau 203
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.