Artwork
Festival at the Tuilleries
Festival at the Tuilleries is a print by the Impressionist artist Auguste Lepère. It dates from 1887 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1887 by French artist Auguste Louis Lepère, *Festival at the Tuileries* is a wood‑engraved print that captures a lively indoor gathering. The image is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection and exemplifies Lepère’s role in the late‑19th‑century revival of wood engraving across Europe.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a festive soirée within an opulent hall, populated by elegantly dressed men in tailcoats and women in flowing gowns. Couples glide across a marble floor near a flower‑adorned fountain, while onlookers occupy balconies. The composition emphasizes the convivial atmosphere of a social event rather than heroic or mythological narratives.
Technique & Style
Lepère employed fine wood‑engraving techniques, rendering delicate textures of fabric, light, and architectural detail with subtle gradations. The illumination is soft, spreading across faces and drapery, which lends a naturalistic quality to the figures. His approach aligns with realist tendencies, focusing on everyday moments and the nuanced play of light rather than dramatic chiaroscuro.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the print has remained in private and institutional hands before entering the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s European prints collection. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s interest in works that illustrate the technical resurgence of wood engraving in the 1880s.
Context
Lepère’s work emerges at a time when artists were turning toward realism, portraying ordinary social scenes with fidelity. *Festival at the Tuileries* illustrates this shift, offering a glimpse into the leisure activities of Parisian society while showcasing the renewed appreciation for the wood‑engraving medium among European printmakers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Louis-Auguste Lepère (30 November 1849 – 20 November 1918) was a French painter and etcher. Lepère is also considered a leader in the creative revival of wood engraving in Europe.
Bal mascat
Great Fair Given at the City Assembly Rooms, New York, December, 1861, in Aid of the City Poor
I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)
Fete at the Chateau de Versailles in 1745 on the occasion of the marriage of the Dauphin
H Beard Print Collection
Le Palais des Arts Liberaux, Extérieur
H Beard Print Collection
A Glove: The Locale
Le bal paré
H Beard Print Collection
The Tuileries Gardens
Fête donnée à Tivoli en faveur des pensionnaires de l'ancienne liste civile le 3 Juin 1840