Auguste Louis Lepère – Soir d’été (Summer Evening) c1910

Lepère, Auguste Louis, (French / 1849-1918). A French painter and etcher of the first order, Lepere was also the undisputed leader in the creative revival of wood engraving in Europe. Age thirteen, Auguste Louis Lepere began his artistic education in the Paris studio of the English wood engraver Burn Smeeton. By the mid 1870's, Lepere had clearly emerged as one of the most renowned printmakers of his time. In both etching and wood engraving he became known as the prime delineator of daily life. Yet he was also a tireless experimenter with innovations such as combining etching and wood engraving on the same print. As well, he was one of the first artists to experiment with coloured papers and often had his own papers made. The last years of Lepere's life were given almost exclusively to wood engraving. In total his graphic oeuvre consists of over 150 etchings, over two hundred wood engravings and 14 lithographs. His brilliant art is represented in most major international collections.