The End of the Day 1908

Curator: This is Auguste-Louis Lepère’s “The End of the Day,” a striking black and white print held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's immediately evocative—the density of the ink creates a mood of exhaustion and quiet resignation. The scene feels weighted down. Curator: Note how the artist uses stark contrasts. Lepère masterfully conveys the weariness of agricultural labor through the stooped figures and the heavy, dark trees dominating the composition. Editor: The bending trees could symbolize the bending of human will under harsh conditions. I’m curious about the social commentary—is Lepère portraying the plight of the rural working class? Curator: It’s possible. Consider the artistic context; Lepère was part of a movement interested in portraying everyday life. The image embodies themes of perseverance and the cyclical nature of human existence, framed within a landscape of enduring natural forms. Editor: Looking at it now, I feel a deep connection to the historical experience of laborers, and that feeling gives the image a powerful human dimension. Curator: For me, the somber stillness emphasizes the enduring connection between humanity and the land.