Studio: international art (12.1898)

77/c Art of Wood-Carving

first attempt of the kind ; since then he has done
several leather bindings, notably those for the
" Cantique des Cantiques," " La Mer," " Herodias,"
'•'Paris au Hasard," and for the volume in which,
under the title of '; Bois et Eaux-fortes d'Auguste
Lepere," M. Beraldi has collected the artist's most
remarkable productions.

In these the process is quite new, and is admir-
ably adapted for the purposes of binding. The
leather, tooled and coloured by the hot iron,
assumes a quite special richness, and Lepere's firm
draughtsmanship suits it to perfection, his line
work having beautiful strength and force. He has
avoided the danger of over-elaboration, and shows
himself here, as in all else, the simple, honest artist
we know so well.

Much more might be said of Lepere and his
remarkable work, but it is quite impossible within
the space of a magazine article to convey any
•adequate impression of so many-sided an artist. In
dealing with a rich and original worker such as this,
one discovers, when all is said, that, after all, one
has said almost nothing.

This at least I may add by way of summary and
conclusion, even though my incomplete criticism
may not have proved it so emphatically as I could
wish : we have in Lepere a profound observer,
a patient, conscientious worker, a devotee of

incised leather work by auguste leper]

Nature, a brilliant workman, whose supple fingers
wield the implements of his craft with unsurpassable
knowledge and skill ; in him we have undoubtedly
one of the boldest and most original artists of our
time.

Gabriel Mourey.

HE ART OF WOOD-CARV-
ING. BY G. FRAMPTON,
A.R.A.—(PART II.)

Before proceeding, as is my inten-
tion, to a more particular consideration
^^/tSSBSE^S^SSBBSBSS^^^^I&S^S^^ of design in connection with wood-carving, 1

should like to controvert what within my own ex-
iv ised leather woKK by augcjste lepere pericnce is a far from uncommon error among the