Pier of Bercy (Embarcadere, quai de Bercy)
1891
Medium
etching and drypoint in brown
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5591
Art Historical Context
Auguste Lepère's *Pier of Bercy (Embarcadère, quai de Bercy)*, created in 1891, a bustling slice of everyday Parisian life along the Seine River. The Quai de Bercy, a vital waterfront hub in late 19th-century Paris, was alive with commerce—barges unloading wine, goods, and passengers amid the city's rapid industrialization during Belle Époque. Lepère, a renowned etcher and illustrator, at documenting these urban vignettes with a keen eye for atmospheric detail, blending Realism with a touch of poetic intimacy. Rendered in etching and drypoint on brown-toned paper, this print showcases Lepère'...
About the Artist
Auguste Lepère · 1849–1918
Auguste-Louis Lepère (1849–1918), son of the sculptor François Lepère, was born in Paris on November 30, 1849, into an artistic family that shaped his early path. At age thirteen, he apprenticed in the Paris studio of the English wood engraver Joseph Burn Smeeton, honing his skills in wood engraving until 1867. He furthered his training with drawing classes under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran at the...