Artwork
En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (In a Private Room) (first plate)
En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (In a Private Room) (first plate) is an ink print by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain" lower right margin, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "1er etat" lower left margin, graphite, artist's hand. "M" upper right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "Frenio -" verso, lower right sheet, blue ink, unknown hand. "particulier" verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand. "24" [underlined] verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand.
- Markings
- Marked:"National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).
About this work
Overview
En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) is a 1909 etching by Jean-Louis Forain on laid Van Gelder paper, depicting a scene of three figures in a dimly lit private room.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures a moment of intimate, possibly troubled, interaction among three individuals: a standing woman with disheveled hair leaning over a hunched, seated man, and a partially obscured figure reclining in the background, shrouded in shadow.
Technique & Style
Forain employed loose, scratchy etching lines, characteristic of his style, and utilized a technique allowing ink to accumulate in layers, resulting in dark, fuzzy edges, particularly evident in the rendering of hair and clothing, conveying a sense of deliberate immediacy.
History & Provenance
Created in 1909, the work reflects Forain's versatility in printmaking, though his overall reputation has waned compared to some contemporaries despite his success during his lifetime.
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.
- En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (In a Private Room) (first plate)
En cabinet particulier (3e planche) (In a Private Room) (third plate)
Scène de cabinet particulier (planche en hauteur) (Scene in a Private Room) (vertical plate)
Le repos du modèle (1ère planche) (The Model's Rest) (first plate)
Scène de cabinet particulier (planche en largeur) (Scene in a Private Room) (horizontal plate)
Le cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (The Private Room) (first plate)
Scène de cabinet particulier (planche en largeur au lavis) (Scene in a Private Room) (horizontal plate with wash)
Le cabinet particulier (4e planche) (The Private Room) (fourth plate)
L'avocat parlant au prévenu (1ère planche) (The Lawyer Talking to the Prisoner) (first plate)
A la table de jeu (1ère planche) (At the Gambling Table) (first plate)
A la table de jeu (1ère planche) (At the Gambling Table) (first plate)