The Little Bridge 1913

Auguste-Louis Lepère made "The Little Bridge" using etching, a process that really leans into the beauty of the accidental. Here, everything is rendered with such fine detail – from the thatched roof of the house to the woman crouched by the path. Lepère’s lines swarm, like a constellation of tiny marks working together. Look closely at the area of the sky, see how he suggests the weather? You can almost feel the wind. The materiality of the printmaking process, with its emphasis on line and texture, is so important to the overall feeling of the piece. It reminds me a little of Whistler's etchings, especially in its focus on the atmospheric effects of light and shadow. Ultimately, the image stays open, a testament to the ongoing conversation of art across time.