1919
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
a) Fetters (recto); b) Several Figures (verso) is a 1919 ink by Jean-Louis Forain, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two people in a dim room. One stands holding a chain, dressed in a long dress and head covering. The other sits slumped on a bed, wrapped in sheets, with their head down. The lines are loose and quick, like a rough draft. The standing person’s chain suggests they might be in charge, but the seated figure looks tired or trapped. The artist used simple lines and shading to show shapes, not details. Next, check out cross-hatching—it’s a way to build shadows with layers of lines.
Jean-Louis Forain (French pronunciation: ; 23 October 1852 – 11 July 1931) was a French Impressionist painter and printmaker, working in media including oils, watercolour, pastel, etching and lithograph.
See the richer artist page
