Prints and Authors in the Time of Manet

Double Rouen Cathedral

Wood engraving
Gift of Miss Alice Roullier, 1949.167

This print is an excellent example of Auguste-Louis Lepère’s mastery of the wood engraving technique. Popular with publishers, wood engravings were often used for illustrating books and magazines. The technique, involving cutting the design into the hard end-grain of a block of wood, resulted in a tough surface capable of standing up to multiple printings. The hard end-grain surface was also very receptive to fine detail.