Artwork
Apres l'attentat, Juin '97
Apres l'attentat, Juin '97 is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1897, Apres l'attentat, Juin ‘97 is a small drawing executed with brush, black ink and watercolor on wove paper.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain" lower right margin, black ink, artist's hand. "Doux Pays / apres l'attentat / juin 97" upper left margin, black ink, artist's hand. "Tout est calme a l'Elysee" lower center margin, black ink, artist's hand. Verso: none.
- Markings
- Marked:"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).
About this work
Overview
Created in 1897, Apres l'attentat, Juin ‘97 is a small drawing executed with brush, black ink and watercolor on wove paper. The French artist Jean‑Louis Forain, active in the late nineteenth century, employed his familiar observational approach to capture a quiet interior scene that follows an unspecified violent episode.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a solitary man seated at a table, his posture slumped as he leans his head onto his forearm. A book and a cup lie on the tabletop, suggesting a moment of pause or contemplation after a disruptive event, hinted at by the title’s reference to an attack.
Technique & Style
Forain combined diluted black ink with watercolor washes, allowing the medium’s translucency to model the figure and objects while preserving a linear clarity. The drawing’s restrained palette and straightforward rendering align with his realistic yet economical style, emphasizing gesture and atmosphere over decorative detail.
History & Provenance
Although Forain achieved considerable commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation waned after his death. This work, like many of his drawings, remained in private collections before entering public view through museum acquisitions and exhibitions that reassess late‑Impressionist practices.
Context
The piece belongs to the broader Impressionist tendency to depict contemporary life and ordinary moments. By focusing on an interior scene after a violent incident, Forain extends the movement’s interest in modernity to the psychological impact of public events on private individuals.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
- Un comité écoutant la lecture d'une tragédie
À la conférence (At the Conference)
Projet de Voyage
Frontispiece for "L'Affaire Clémenceau"
Une soirées musicale
A la table de jeu (At the Gambling Table)
En contemplation devant le vaisseau de l'opera
Versailles, 28 Juin
M'sieu... que c'est tannant d'avoir la colique quand...
Continuant ... Le divertissement des tables tournantes ...
Vous aviez faim... ce n'est pas une raison...
At Versailles, July 1919