Amiens Cathedral 1907

Auguste-Louis Lepère made this etching of the Amiens Cathedral, a monumental gothic building in France. The whole scene shimmers with a light gray tone, giving it an ethereal quality. It makes me think of the way light catches on old buildings, the kind of light that makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time. I can imagine Lepère meticulously working on the plate, scratching in each tiny line to capture the cathedral’s ornate details. It must have taken so much patience and care. There’s a crowd gathered at the base of the cathedral. You know, Lepère was part of a wave of artists who were super interested in modern life. You see this in the architectural focus and the detailed attention he gives to the contemporary figures at the cathedral's base. These artists really saw themselves in conversation with other artists, across time. They were all trying to capture something essential about human experience, you know? And that's what makes art so alive and exciting - it's this ongoing dialogue.