The Old Footbridge, Banks of the Petit Morin 1915

Editor: This is Auguste-Louis Lepère’s "The Old Footbridge, Banks of the Petit Morin," a print made in 1915. It has such a quiet, pastoral feel. What jumps out to you about it? Curator: The work immediately makes me think about the representation of rural life during the First World War. This peaceful scene, with people casually sitting by the river, sheep grazing, and the idyllic French countryside, seems almost a direct counterpoint to the horrors unfolding on the Western Front. Don't you find the normalcy depicted striking, given the context? Editor: I see what you mean. It's easy to get lost in the picturesque scene. Did Lepère create this as a form of escapism or perhaps even propaganda? Curator: That's a good question to ask. The art world, even during wartime, has always been interwoven with political undertones, hasn't it? And we need to reflect upon the possible social purposes of its making and display. Editor: Definitely. What I now find intriguing is that Lepère chose etching, a traditional printmaking technique. Does this add another layer to its meaning? Curator: Absolutely. Choosing etching connects the work to a long history of landscape representation, referencing earlier traditions and solidifying the notion of an enduring, timeless French countryside in a world changing very rapidly. Perhaps it’s Lepère positioning France outside the destruction, suggesting a permanence that resisted the era’s uncertainty. What do you think? Editor: I see, so the choice of medium itself contributes to this narrative of stability. I hadn't thought of it that way. I suppose the way an artist chooses to represent a thing always tells a deeper story about what they want that image to do for society, or for its viewers. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us how artists can consciously or unconsciously become implicated in wider historical and cultural narratives. This is an important way to think about any image.