The Dawn, plate fourteen from Le Long de la Seine et des Boulevards

Art Historical Context

**The Dawn**, plate fourteen from Louis Auguste Lepère's series *Le Long de Seine et des Boulev*, captures the quiet magic of early morning in late 19th-century Paris Created in 1890 published in 1910 this wood engraving depicts a serene riverside or boulevard scene bathed in the soft light of dawn, evoking bustling yet intimate urban life along the Seine during the Belle Époque. Lepère, a master French printmaker (1849–1918), was renowned for his meticulous urban vignettes, blending realism with poetic atmosphere to document Haussmann's transformed cityscape. Printed in black ink on luxurious cream Japanese tissue—a fine, absorbent paper favored by European artists for its subtle texture and ability to hold intricate details—this small gem (image 10.1 × 12.1 cm) showcases wood engraving's precision. Unlike earlier coarse woodcuts, Lepère's technique emulated the fluidity of etching, allowing fine lines and tonal gradations that mimic the hazy glow of sunrise. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, it exemplifies the revival of original wood engravings as fine art, bridging 19th-century illustration and modern printmaking. Visitors will appreciate how *The Dawn* freezes a fleeting moment, inviting reflection on Paris's enduring allure—from foggy mornings to vibrant boulevards. A testament to Lepère's skill, it reminds us how everyday scenes can become timeless poetry on paper.

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...