The Suffering 1909

Auguste-Louis Lepère created this etching, called The Suffering, with ink on paper. There's an amazing contrast between the fineness of the etched line and the rougher, more emphatic marks that describe the buildings. You can almost feel the texture of the thatch roofs, each stroke contributing to a sense of depth and atmosphere. The etching really leans into the materiality of the medium, it’s not trying to be a photograph. Lepère uses the black ink to create a surprisingly light and airy scene. I love the way he uses these dark, almost scribbled marks to build form, especially in the foreground building. See how the density of the lines creates shadow and suggests the rough texture of the wall? It’s not about perfection, but about capturing a feeling, an impression. Lepère reminds me of Whistler who also understood the poetry of etching. Like Whistler, Lepère embraces the accidental, the imperfect, and the ephemeral, reminding us that art is as much about the process as it is about the final product.