Artwork
La Poulailler attrape la plus grosse
La Poulailler attrape la plus grosse is a print by the Impressionist artist Auguste Lepère. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
La Poulailler attrape la plus grosse is an 1894 etching by Auguste Louis Lepère, a key figure in the European revival of wood engraving. The work is part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a dimly lit, cluttered room with a half-dressed man and a kneeling child, alongside suggestive objects like a telescope and indistinct piles. The title implies a humorous or ironic scenario, though the exact narrative remains ambiguous.
Technique & Style
Lepère employed strong chiaroscuro, leveraging stark contrasts between light and dark to define the figures and space, accentuating textures and deep shadows within the composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1894, the etching is now held in the permanent collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, reflecting its significance within Lepère's oeuvre and the broader revival of wood engraving techniques in late 19th-century Europe.
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.
The Poulterer, Vendee (Le Poulailler, Vendee)
Peasants Outside an Inn Entertained by Musicians with a Flute and a Drum
The Woodcutter’s House (Vendée)
Stroll of the Convalescent (La promenade du convalescent)
Peasant Family in an Interior wtih the Father Feeding a Child
Mother and Two Children
Christ Returning from the Temple with His Parents
Le Promenade du convalescent
Rag Pickers, Quartier Mouffetard, Paris
The Rat Catcher
The Merry Shoemaker
Pour moi le plus diffile c'est de m'habituer à porter un chapeau