Fauteuils d'orchestre, from Tirage Unique de Trente-Six Bois Possibly 1878 - 1920

"Fauteuils d'orchestre," from Tirage Unique de Trente-Six Bois is a wood engraving created by French artist Auguste-Louis Lepère (1849–1918), sometime between 1878 and 1920. The image, now housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, depicts a group of seated figures in a theater. Their faces, drawn in a detailed and expressive manner, reveal a range of reactions to the performance. The work exemplifies Lepère's mastery of the wood engraving technique, employing deep blacks and delicate lines to capture the atmosphere of the theater. This realistic portrayal of everyday life makes "Fauteuils d'orchestre" an important piece of social realism within the artist's body of work.