The Vampire of Notre-Dame, plate nine from Le Long de la Seine et des Boulevards

Art Historical Context

In the shadowy glow of fin-de-siècle Paris, Auguste Lepère's *The Vampire of Notre-Dame (1890, published 1910) captures the allure of the iconic cathedral along the Seine. As plate nine from the series *Le Long de la et des Boulevards this wood engraving evokes the bustling yet mysterious boulevards of Haussmann's transformed city, blending everyday urban life with a touch of the macabre—hinted at in its evocative title, perhaps alluding to nocturnal figures or the cathedral's looming presence at dusk. Lepère, a master of the French wood engraving revival, crafted this intricate image with fine, expressive lines on delicate cream Japanese tissue, a luxurious paper prized for its absorbency and subtle texture. Measuring just 13.2 × 12.3 cm, the print showcases the medium's precision: wood engraving allowed for rich tonal contrasts and architectural details, rivaling paintings in depth. This technique, rooted in 19th-century printmaking innovation, democratized art while honoring Japanese ukiyo-e influences popular among European artists. Held in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection, this work highlights Lepère's role in romanticizing Paris's timeless landmarks, offering visitors a window into Belle Époque nostalgia and the enduring magic of the Seine's edge.

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...