# Auguste Lepère artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/auguste-lepere/
Profile generated: 2026-05-23T10:33:44.871Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1849-11-30
- Death date: 1918-11-20
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Late 19th-century French printmaking revival
- Common media: wood engraving, etching, painting, lithography, illustration

## About Auguste Lepère

Auguste Lepère (1849–1918), also known as Louis-Auguste Lepère, was a French engraver, painter, and illustrator widely regarded as a leading figure in the revival of wood engraving as a fine-art medium in late nineteenth-century Europe. Born in Paris, he was the son of the engraver François Lepère and began his career around 1869. Lepère mastered both traditional wood engraving and etching, and his work spans Parisian street scenes, Breton countryside subjects, and urban landscapes captured with meticulous detail. He produced illustrations for major illustrated journals of his era and also created independent fine prints that are held in museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art. Active until his death in 1918, Lepère is documented in Bénézit, Thieme/Becker, and other standard reference dictionaries.

## Common works and media

Collectors most frequently encounter Lepère's original wood engravings and etchings, including views of Paris streets, the Seine, fortifications, and Breton rural scenes. He also produced lithographs, ink drawings, and oil paintings, though these are less common at auction. Illustrated journal contributions—wood-engraved blocks published in titles such as Le Monde illustré—form a substantial portion of his output. Sketches and croquis from travels in France and Italy also appear on the market.

## Market and appraisal context

Auguste Lepère's work appears regularly at auction, predominantly as wood engravings, etchings, and lithographs rather than paintings. His Paris cityscapes and urban genre scenes are the most sought-after subjects. Value depends on medium, edition state, whether the impression is signed, paper condition, and provenance. Many of Lepère's wood engravings were produced for illustrated newspapers and journals, so collectors should distinguish between original fine-art prints and periodical reproductions when assessing worth. Catalogue references in Bénézit and Thieme/Becker can help confirm attribution and rarity.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine verified artist identity research from library authority files and museum records with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Auguste Lepère, identity data is grounded in the Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, and Wikidata authority records.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/49498
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2871286
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500018893
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/59121898/
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste-Louis_Lep%C3%A8re
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/6677