The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 24, 2024
Paris under Snow
1890
(French, 1849–1918)
Border: 30.2 x 45.4 cm (11 7/8 x 17 7/8 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Malcolm L. McBride 1947.138
Catalogue raisonné: Lotz-Brissonneau 230
Location: not on view
Description
Wood engraving was perfected about 1770 in England by Thomas Bewick (1753–1828). Since the end grain of a hard wood is used, the block can be engraved with a sharp instrument called a burin, making closely set lines possible and producing a great range of textures and tones. The surface of the block is inked and printed so that the engraved lines appear as white areas. The strength of the block meant that numerous impressions could be printed. Wood engraving thus became a principal method for illustrating books and newspapers in the 19th century. Lepère developed an extraordinary mastery of wood engraving, which he used to effectively describe a snowy view of central Paris. The confetti-like snowflakes silhouetted against the dark river, and the overall blurring effect caused by the snowfall in the distance, are a tour de force.- Inventive Impressions: 18th- and 19-Century French Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-October 28, 2001).The Cleveland Museum of Art; 8/26/01-10/28/01. "Inventive Impressions: 18th- and 19th-Century French Prints".
- {{cite web|title=Paris under Snow|url=false|author=Auguste Louis Lepère|year=1890|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1947.138