Artwork
Pietà (1ère planche) (Pietà) (first plate)
Pietà (1ère planche) (Pietà) (first plate) is an ink print by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain" lower right margin, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "2eme etat" lower left margin, graphite, artist's hand. "G. 117II Pietà (1st plate)" lower center margin, graphite, unknown hand. "c5677" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "A39158" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. Verso: none.
- Markings
- Marked:"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).
About this work
Jean-Louis Forain’s 1910 drypoint shows the Virgin Mary cradling Christ after the Crucifixion.
Jean-Louis Forain’s 1910 drypoint shows the Virgin Mary cradling Christ after the Crucifixion. Her face is calm but lined with quiet grief. The background is almost blank, so the light and dark lines do the talking.
Forain loved printmaking for its sharp contrasts. He used drypoint to scratch lines into metal, then inked the plate to make prints. The scratches catch light differently than a brush would.
Try looking up Forain, Jean-Louis next.
Overview
Pietà (1ère planche) is a 1910 drypoint print by French artist Jean-Louis Forain, created on wove paper. It is one of a series of etchings and drypoints Forain produced in the early 20th century.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ after the Crucifixion. Mary's face is calm yet etched with subtle sorrow, conveying a poignant emotional depth.
Technique & Style
Forain employed drypoint technique, scratching lines into a metal plate to create the print. This method allowed for sharp contrasts between light and dark, a characteristic Forain valued in printmaking.
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.
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Le repos en Egypte (The Rest in Egypt)
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ (after Poussin)
The Miracle at Lourdes
Lourdes, la paralytique (2e planche) (Lourdes, the Paralytic) (second plate)
Le Christ dépouillé de ses vêtements (Christ Stripped of His Clothes)
Le repas à Emmaus (3e planche) (The Supper at Emmaus) (third plate)
Le miraculé devant l'ostensoir (4e planche) (The Miracle before the Blessed Sacrament) (fourth plate)