Two Cottages 1910

Auguste-Louis Lepère made this print, Two Cottages, with etching. I love the web of marks he’s created to bring the scene to life. It reminds me that artmaking is as much about the process as it is about the final image. Look at the way he uses lines – some are light and airy, others thick and dark, creating a sense of depth and texture. The thatched roofs are so tactile, you can almost feel the roughness of the straw. I'm drawn to the subtle way the light filters through the trees, it’s like looking at a memory. I wonder if Lepère knew the work of Hercules Segers. He had a similar way of thinking about landscape, building imaginary worlds through a combination of precise detail and atmospheric effects. Like Segers, Lepère reminds us that art doesn't need to be fixed; it’s a space where ambiguity and imagination can thrive.