1891
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Wash-house (Le lavoir) is a 1891 ink by Auguste Lepère, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a busy riverside scene with a mix of people and buildings. On the left, a woman stands near the water’s edge. In the middle, a group of people—some standing, some sitting—gathers around a large, open-air washhouse with a sloped roof. The background has a train station with tracks, platforms, and a few travelers. The whole scene is drawn in loose, quick lines with shading for depth. The artist focused on everyday life, not polished perfection. The washhouse is the heart of the scene, where people likely did laundry by hand. The train in the distance adds a touch of modern life to this quiet moment. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this one used acid and metal plates to create detailed prints.
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.
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