Auguste Brouet,H ouse in Ruins at Andemps,16”x14” , Etching, signed in pencil, lower margin

Auguste Brouet

Auguste  Brouet,  one of the finest original etchers of early twentieth century French art, was born in Paris in 1872. He created over three hundred dry points and etchings during his career. Brouet was first apprenticed to a lithographer and then a lute maker, taking classes at the École des Beaux-Arts as time and money became more readily available to him. Fellow printer, Auguste Delâtre introduced Brouet to etching and his first original etching dates from just after 1900.

Many of Brouet’s works deal with the poor and working classes of Paris and the surrounding countryside. Some scholars have compared Brouet’s work to the etchings of Rembrandt, as they both shared an affinity for compositional settings and a deep concern for humanity.