The Little Bridge
Medium
Etching on cream wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 12.3 × 20.5 cm (4 7/8 × 8 1/8 in.); Plate: 13.7 × 21.2 cm (5 7/16 × 8 3/8 in.); Sheet: 22.9 × 27.9 cm (9 1/16 × 11 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
46345
Art Historical Context
**The Little Bridge** is a delicate etching created by French artist Louis Auguste Lepère in 3, capturing the charm of everyday architecture during the waning years of the Belle Époque Lepère (1849–1918), a master printmaker renowned for his intricate depictions of Parisian streets, bridges, and landscapes, drew from his deep observation of urban life. This work, printed on cream wove paper, exemplifies skill in rendering subtle textures and atmospheric depth, inviting viewers to linger on the humble beauty of a small bridge—likely a quiet Parisian or provincial scene. Etching, Lepère's prefe...
About the Artist
Louis Auguste Lepère · 1849–1918
Louis-Auguste Lepère (1849–1918) was born in Paris on November 30 to the sculptor François Lepère, immersing him early in the artistic world. At age thirteen, he apprenticed in the studio of the English wood engraver Joseph Burn-Smeeton, training there from 1862 to 1867, and later attended drawing courses under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran at the Petite École (now École nationale supérieure des art...