Le Dîner à l'auberge 1917 - 1922

Jean-Émile Laboureur made this print, "Le Dîner à l'auberge", with a clear sense of line and form—you can almost feel the artist’s hand carefully etching each stroke, building up the image bit by bit. It’s like he’s thinking out loud with his lines, letting them zigzag and curve to capture the scene. I can imagine Laboureur sitting there, observing the quiet intimacy of a dinner at an inn, maybe sketching out ideas before committing them to the plate. The way he uses line to define the figures and objects gives everything a sort of stylized elegance. Look at the hatching and cross-hatching—it’s not just shading; it’s creating texture and depth, pulling you into the scene. The flat surfaces and patterned details remind me a little of Art Deco, but with a more personal touch. It feels like Laboureur is in conversation with the art of his time, taking cues and then doing his own thing. Ultimately, artists are magpies, right? Taking what they see, transforming it, and giving it back to the world. Painting is about the process; the way we see and rethink reality.