1918
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
a) La fête nationale (The National Holiday) (recto); b) Woman Holding Child (verso) is a 1918 ink by Jean-Louis Forain, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a person crouched on a rocky ledge, holding a sword high like they’re ready to strike. Their face is blurred, and the lines are quick and rough, almost like a hasty drawing. In the background, a few buildings and a fence are barely sketched in—just enough to suggest a landscape. The title calls it a "National Holiday," but the mood feels tense, not celebratory. The artist used loose, sketchy lines to make it feel fast and urgent. Next, check out Forain, Jean-Louis to see how his other work compares.
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.
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