Banks of the Somme at Amiens 1907

Auguste-Louis Lepère made this etching, Banks of the Somme at Amiens, imagining the scene with the subtlest of greyish marks. The image is so linear, yet the softness of the light makes me think of Impressionism. I imagine Lepère outside, en plein air, with his etching tools, trying to capture this atmosphere. It must have been so difficult, but I sympathize. As an artist, you have to follow your curiosity. It’s like a dog with a scent! Lepère’s marks don't seem to follow any set pattern, yet together they compose a scene and capture a kind of gentle light. And with his choice of subject matter, he captures the spirit of the late 19th century, on the cusp of modernity. Like James McNeill Whistler, he's thinking about landscapes, industry, and the relationship between humans and nature. I think we are all still working that out, aren't we?