Screen of Poplars 1911

Curator: This is Auguste-Louis Lepère's print, "Screen of Poplars," currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's stark. The lines are so deliberate, creating a strong textural feel, almost like drypoint. Curator: Lepère was known for his mastery of wood engraving and etching; consider the social context of printmaking as a democratic art form, making art accessible to a wider audience. Editor: Absolutely. You see the labor in each line. And the choice of subject matter, a pastoral scene, connects to idealized visions of rural life circulating at the time. Curator: The composition certainly frames the landscape in a way that evokes both tranquility and a connection to the land. Editor: It's a compelling study in contrasts—the density of the trees against the openness of the field, and the meticulous detail achieved through laborious process. Curator: Indeed, a work that rewards close attention to its making and its historical moment. Editor: I agree; it underscores the power of printmaking to capture and disseminate particular visions of the world.