Lath-Makers

Art Historical Context

**Lath-Makers** by Louis Auguste Lepère captures the quiet diligence of French laborers in 1888, a time when wood engravings were experiencing a renaissance in Europe. Lepère, a master of this intricate technique, depicted everyday workers—here, lath-makers crafting thin wooden strips essential for construction and plastering. Created amid France's industrial boom, the print reflects a growing fascination with the working class, blending realism with the artist's keen eye for texture and light. Published later in 1908, it exemplifies Lepère's contribution to elevating printmaking as fine art. Rendered in black ink on luxurious cream laid Japanese paper, the small image (just 7.5 × 9.6 cm) showcases wood engraving's precision: fine lines incised into end-grain wood blocks allow for remarkable detail, from the grain of the wood to the workers' focused expressions. Japanese paper, favored by artists influenced by Japonisme, absorbs ink beautifully, enhancing the print's subtle tones and velvety depth. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this piece highlights how 19th-century engravers like Lepère rivaled painting in expressive power. A gem for print enthusiasts, **Lath-Makers** invites us to appreciate the unsung crafts behind grand architecture, reminding visitors of art's role in honoring ordinary lives.

About the Artist

Louis Auguste Lepère · 1849–1918

Louis-Auguste Lepère (1849–1918) was born in Paris on November 30 to the sculptor François Lepère, immersing him early in the artistic world. At age thirteen, he apprenticed in the studio of the English wood engraver Joseph Burn-Smeeton, training there from 1862 to 1867, and later attended drawing courses under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran at the Petite École (now École nationale supérieure des art...