La Pointe de Billancourt - Auguste Louis Lepère

An atmospheric etching by Auguste Louis Lepère depicting the industrial riverbanks of the Seine at Billancourt, showcasing his mastery of line and texture.

Auguste Louis Lepère was a master of the graphic arts, known for his technical precision in wood engraving and etching. This work, La Pointe de Billancourt, captures a specific stretch of the Seine near Paris, documenting the industrial and working-class character of the riverbanks during the late nineteenth century. Lepère possessed a keen eye for the interplay between human activity and the natural environment, often focusing on the utilitarian structures that defined the outskirts of the city.

The composition is structured around the riverbank, where a small boat sits in the foreground, its form rendered with confident, descriptive lines. A wooden structure, likely a fisherman's hut or storage shed, stands nearby, accompanied by a tall, skeletal crane used for river operations. In the distance, the silhouette of the industrialised horizon suggests the encroaching urbanisation of the era. Lepère uses a variety of hatching techniques to create texture and depth, from the calm, reflective surface of the water to the rough timber of the boats and the foliage along the bank.

As a practitioner of the revival of original printmaking, Lepère avoided the mechanical reproduction methods common to his time. He preferred the directness of the needle on the copper plate, which allowed him to maintain the spontaneity of a sketch while achieving a high degree of detail. This print offers a glimpse into a vanished corner of the Parisian periphery, preserved through the artist's disciplined observation. The work reflects the quiet, observational approach typical of his oeuvre, where the focus remains on the authentic, unvarnished reality of the French river scene.