1909
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (In a Private Room) (first plate) is a 1909 ink by Jean-Louis Forain, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows three figures in a dim room. A standing woman with wild, tangled hair leans over a seated man, who’s hunched forward. Another person lies on a couch in the background, half-hidden by shadow. The lines are loose and scratchy, like quick notes rather than a finished drawing. The artist used a technique that lets ink pile up in layers, creating dark, fuzzy edges—especially in the hair and clothes. It feels messy on purpose, like a snapshot of a moment rather than a polished scene. Next, check out etching to see how artists build texture with ink and metal plates.
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
