Modern Bucolic 1901

Auguste-Louis Lepère made this print, Modern Bucolic, with etching. I’m imagining Lepère with his etching tools, carefully scraping into the metal, unsure of where it will lead. There’s something so tender and searching in the way he works the plate. The scene depicts a landscape, figures strewn across the composition. The light is muted. Look closely, and you will see the scene emerge. Lepère’s background in illustration suggests a narrative element—a story unfolding beneath the surface. I’m wondering, what is it? Is the figure in the foreground sleeping, dreaming of those dancing in the background? Lepère's contemporary Félix Vallotton also had a background in illustration and printmaking. Vallotton's prints depict modern life through careful arrangements of light and shadow. I imagine the two of them discussing their process, sharing ideas and influencing each other's work. That's how it is, we all learn from each other, each mark informs the next.