Auguste was the son of the sculptor Francois Lepère. He studied under the English engraver Smeeton. He first exhibited paintings in 1870 but from about 1876 he worked entirely in print making and his etchings and wood engravings won many prizes. He was famous for his meticulous wood engravings of French city scenes and landscapes. He was almost unique in the 19th century for reviving the technique of wood engraving.