1909
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Le prévenu et l'enfant (The Prisoner and the Child) is a 1909 ink by Jean-Louis Forain, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a crowded courtroom scene. In the foreground, a woman holds a child while a man in a suit sits nearby, looking down. Behind them, a judge in a wig and other figures watch from raised seats. The lines are loose and fast, almost like scribbles, giving it a rough, hurried feel. The artist used a technique that lets ink pile up in layers, creating dark, textured lines—especially on the woman’s hair and the man’s coat. This was a way to add depth without smooth shading. Next, check out etching to see how artists build shadows and detail with acid and ink.
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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