Lost Illusions
1918
crayon
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1918
crayon
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Jean-Louis Forain’s *Lost Illusions* shows an older man in a dark coat, head in hands, under a dim lamp. His slumped shoulders and empty pockets tell a quiet story. This isn’t just sadness—it’s the weight of dashed hopes. Forain often drew Parisian life’s rough edges. Here, ink bleeds through the paper’s weave, making the sorrow feel raw. The black crayon adds grit, like the city’s cobblestones underfoot. See how the artist uses cross-hatching next at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
