Artwork
Le prévenu et l'enfant (The Prisoner and the Child)
Le prévenu et l'enfant (The Prisoner and the Child) 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. "2e etat" lower left margin, graphite, artist's hand. "G52II" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "MK 29030" verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand.
- Markings
- Marked:"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).
About this work
Overview
Le prévenu et l'enfant (The Prisoner and the Child) is an etching on laid Van Gelder paper created by French artist Jean-Louis Forain in 1909.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a poignant scene in a jail cell: a slumped prisoner, a woman holding a child, and two guards observing from behind a railing. The tense atmosphere suggests a moment of emotional distress or farewell.
Technique & Style
Forain employed drypoint technique, scratching directly into the metal plate to achieve textured, jagged lines that convey a sense of urgency and emotional intensity.
Context
Forain was a versatile artist known for his work in various mediums, including oils, watercolor, pastel, and printmaking. He enjoyed relative success during his lifetime among his Impressionist peers.
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.
Avocat parlant à sa cliente (Lawyer Talking to His Client)
Late Picquet
L'audience (3e planche) (The Hearing) (third plate)
La sortie de l'audience (1ère planche) (Coming Out of the Hearing) (first plate)
L'avocat parlant au prévenu (2e planche) (The Lawyer Talking to the Prisoner) (second plate)
La sortie de l'audience (1ère planche) (Coming Out of the Hearing) (first plate)
La sortie de l'audience (1ère planche) (Coming Out of the Hearing) (first plate)