Le bon samaritain (The Good Samaritan)

Created through traditional etching, the artist incised the design with needles before applying acid to bite the lines into the copper plate. The resulting marks are loose, tangled, and gestural, especially evident in the horse’s mane and reins. This sketch‑like quality imparts a sense of urgency, as if the scene were captured in a fleeting observation rather than a polished illustration.

Forain, a French painter and printmaker associated with the Impressionist circle, produced the etching during a period when his prints enjoyed considerable commercial success. Although his reputation has waned relative to some contemporaries, Le bon samaritien remains a representative example of his print output from the early twentieth century.