Street Scene (Mother and Child)

In this enigmatic work, set within a dark, atmospheric mist, Auguste Lepère leaves us to wonder where we are and what is going on. Perhaps the scene takes place in Paris on a quay along the Seine, lit from a streetlamp up on a bridge. An orange glow at the right seems to cast reflections in the distance. The woman and child pose their own questions: Why is the woman bundled up against the elements while the girl has neither coat nor hat' The foggy mystery of this drawing is quite different from the precise detail found in Lepère’s many color woodcuts. Mia has a large collection of Lepère’s prints and drawings, which can be seen by appointment in the Herschel V. Jones Print Study Room.