Bataille du Col de la Chiprotte

Lepère employed rapid, angular ink lines to convey motion and disarray, avoiding smooth contours or detailed anatomy. The sketch’s urgency is heightened by loose, overlapping strokes and minimal shading, emphasizing texture over precision. This approach aligns with sketchbook practices, prioritizing emotional impact and kinetic energy over formal composition or finish.

Executed in 1914, the drawing emerged during a period when Lepère was deeply engaged with printmaking and observational drawing. It entered The Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through documented acquisition, though its specific origins prior to museum ownership remain unrecorded. Its preservation reflects institutional interest in early 20th-century French graphic works beyond finished prints.

Created at the outbreak of World War I, the drawing resonates with the era’s growing artistic shift toward documenting war’s brutality rather than glorifying it. Lepère’s focus on movement and chaos aligns with contemporary European artists rejecting academic traditions, embracing immediacy as a response to modern conflict and industrialized violence.

Though not widely exhibited, the drawing exemplifies Lepère’s commitment to expressive draftsmanship. It stands as a quiet counterpoint to his more celebrated engravings, illustrating his ability to convey tension through minimal means. Its presence in a major museum underscores its value as a personal, unvarnished record of wartime experience.