Artwork
The Shower: St. Jean-de-Monte
The Shower: St. Jean-de-Monte is a print by Auguste Lepère. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created in 1909 by French painter and printmaker Auguste Louis Lepère, *The Shower: St.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1909 by French painter and printmaker Auguste Louis Lepère, *The Shower: St. Jean‑de‑Monte* is a wood‑engraved print that belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art. The image captures a tranquil moment in a rural village, presenting a modest thatched cottage, a church spire, and a small stream, all rendered in a compact, atmospheric composition.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a woman in a long dress holding an infant beside a smoking cottage, suggesting a domestic routine after a bath or washing. The presence of the church steeple and surrounding bare trees situates the figures within a modest, perhaps semi‑rural community, emphasizing everyday life and the quiet dignity of ordinary tasks.
Technique & Style
Lepère employed swift, gestural lines characteristic of his wood‑engraving revival, allowing light and shadow to merge across the sky, smoke, and foliage. The contrast of dark outlines with lighter washes creates a subtle chiaroscuro effect, giving depth while preserving the immediacy of a sketch‑like observation.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during Lepère’s mature period, when he was actively promoting wood engraving across Europe. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition (date of purchase not specified), where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of early‑20th‑century prints.
Context
At the turn of the twentieth century, Lepère’s work contributed to a broader revival of traditional print techniques, countering the rise of photographic reproduction. *The Shower* reflects this movement’s emphasis on hand‑crafted detail and the artist’s interest in rural French life, aligning with contemporary interests in regionalism and everyday subjects.
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.
