The School Street, Troyes 1902

Editor: Here we have Gustave Leheutre's "The School Street, Troyes," an etching from 1902. It's this incredibly detailed little street scene; I’m really drawn to the contrast between the sharp lines of the buildings and the almost dreamlike quality of the light. What’s your take on it? Curator: Oh, I love that you picked up on that dreamlike quality! For me, this etching is almost like a memory fragment. The scene itself, a narrow French street, isn't spectacular. It’s the feeling it evokes, the way he uses light and shadow, that captures your imagination, right? It’s almost theatrical, wouldn't you say? Editor: Definitely theatrical, there’s something almost cinematic about the composition, like the beginning of an old film. What makes Leheutre’s approach so impactful? Curator: Well, he wasn't just documenting a place, was he? He’s pulling you into a world. That slight blurriness… almost as if we're viewing the scene through a soft lens. He invites us to complete the image with our own imaginations and feelings. He wants you to smell the pastries, feel the cobblestones underfoot! And perhaps even ponder that figure sitting in the shadows… Do you ever get the feeling the figure is Leheutre himself? Editor: It’s amazing how much personality he can inject into a cityscape! Looking closer, there are such subtle details, from the textures of the buildings to the suggestion of activity down the street. It really comes alive! Curator: It really does! You start noticing different things each time you look. That little flourish… perhaps he even considered how his mark-making on the copper plate itself adds to the unique narrative! This simple scene reminds me that art’s magic trick lies in transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, don’t you agree? Editor: I totally agree! I never would have thought to appreciate an etching this much, but you've given me a completely different way to see it. Curator: And you, a fresh perspective on an old street. I find I now prefer its soft dreamlike mood! Thanks for that.