Departure for Greenwich (Depart pour Greenwich)

Art Historical Context

**Departure for Greenwich (Départ pour Greenwich)** Created in 1891 by French Auguste Lepère (184–1918), this print captures a moment of departure, likely evoking the bustling energy of travel across waters toward London's historic Greenwich. Housed in the National Gallery Art's Rosenwald CollectionDepartment CG-E), it stands as a fine example of Lepère's dedication to documenting everyday urban and maritime scenes during France's Belle Époque. Lepère, a key figure in the late-19th-century etching revival, blended realism with atmospheric detail to portray the vibrancy of Parisian life and beyond. The work's medium—etching, aquatint, and drypoint—highlights Lepère's technical innovation. Etching offers crisp, controlled lines for structural elements like boats and figures; aquatint introduces subtle tonal washes for misty skies and water reflections; and drypoint adds a tactile, burr-rich softness, mimicking the richness of oil painting. This combination allowed printmakers like Lepère to achieve painterly effects on paper, making intricate compositions accessible and affordable. As a classified print, *Departure for Greenwich* reflects the era's growing fascination with leisure travel and international connections, bridging French artistry with Anglo-European culture. Its preservation in the esteemed Rosenwald Collection underscores its significance in the history of graphic arts, inviting visitors to ponder the romance of journeys past.

About the Artist

Auguste Lepère · 1849–1918

Auguste-Louis Lepère (1849–1918), son of the sculptor François Lepère, was born in Paris on November 30, 1849, into an artistic family that shaped his early path. At age thirteen, he apprenticed in the Paris studio of the English wood engraver Joseph Burn Smeeton, honing his skills in wood engraving until 1867. He furthered his training with drawing classes under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran at the...