Washerwomen (Les Laveuses) (1894)

Dated 1894, "Washerwomen (Les Laveuses)" is an artwork by Auguste Louis Lepère. Historical background, 1894: In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. Background on Illustration: Printing methods such as woodcut, engraving, lithography, and photomechanical reproduction each shaped how illustrators worked. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are often described as a golden age of book and magazine illustration. It is listed in the Illustration collection. The image is in portrait orientation.

Buying "Washerwomen (Les Laveuses)" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

French, 1849–1918

If you like the visual language of Auguste Louis Lepère, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.