The Watering Place at Marie Bridge, Paris

Harry Drake occasionally acquired Auguste Lepère’s preparatory drawings (Mia 2013.35.625) along with the final prints. Lepère’s prints often served as illustrations for books and magazines, and the squiggly lines on this drawing suggest that he was thinking about how text might fit around the scene. The composition continued to evolve, but the locale is unmistakable as the Pont Marie (Marie Bridge), which spans the River Seine. These days, however, you are more likely to find people sunning themselves on lounge chairs than leading horses to drink.