Description
This striking original Auguste Lepère stone-lithograph (1897) from the legendary L’Image publication represents the artistic apex of French Art Nouveau graphic design and the visionary work of one of the movement’s most accomplished masters. Auguste Lepère (1849–1918) stands among the most celebrated and technically accomplished printmakers of the Belle Époque era—a pioneer whose innovations in stone-lithography and wood engraving fundamentally shaped modern graphic design.
Created for the 1897 issue of L’Image, the prestigious monthly literary and artistic review that championed the avant-garde aesthetics of the period, this stone-lithograph exemplifies Lepère’s signature mastery of bold, high-contrast composition and fluid figural representation. The 1897 issuance remains extraordinarily scarce: only 100 impressions on vellum paper and 10 copies on fine Japanese imperial paper. Though this particular work served as an interior illustration rather than a cover design, it carries equal rarity and artistic significance—part of the complete 12-piece L’Image set from this campaign, currently the only such set available to collectors.
The composition demonstrates Lepère’s technical brilliance: robed classical figures rendered in flowing, organic linework, with dramatic interplay of bold blacks and luminous whites characteristic of stone-lithography at its finest. The engraving technique—referenced in the publication’s subtitle “Orné de Figures sur Bois” (decorated with faces on wood)—reveals Lepère’s deep understanding of both lithographic and wood-engraving traditions, disciplines he mastered with equal virtuosity.
Lepère’s influence extended across the decorative arts: he designed book illustrations, created revolutionary poster designs, and pioneered techniques that influenced generations of graphic artists. His work appears in major museum collections worldwide, including the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and leading international institutions devoted to Art Nouveau and graphic design heritage.
This original stone-lithograph arrives professionally conservation-mounted on acid-free archival museum mat (20″ x 16″), linen-backed, and in excellent condition. It represents a museum-quality acquisition for collectors of French graphic design, Art Nouveau printmaking, and rare Belle Époque ephemera. The vellum paper edition underscores its exclusivity and fine-art status. Certificate of Authenticity included.
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