Artwork
Reims 9bre 1918
Reims 9bre 1918 is an ink drawing by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain / Reims 9bre 1918" lower right composition, black crayon, artist's hand. "A2178" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "10" verso, lower center 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
This sketch shows a soldier writing a letter by candlelight in a dim room.
This sketch shows a soldier writing a letter by candlelight in a dim room. The artist used quick, nervous lines to show stress and fatigue. The brown wash pools in the background like muddy trenches.
This was drawn in 1918, the same year the war ended. Sharp cross-hatching marks the soldier’s hands and face. It feels urgent, like a snapshot from the front lines.
Look for more sketchbooks by Forain, Jean-Louis.
Overview
Reims 9bre 1918 is a drawing by Jean-Louis Forain, created in 1918 using brush and brown ink with brown wash over black crayon on wove paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a soldier writing a letter by candlelight, conveying a sense of stress and fatigue through quick, nervous lines. The scene is set in a dimly lit room, with the brown wash evoking the muddy trenches of World War I.
Technique & Style
Forain employed a range of techniques, including sharp cross-hatching to define the soldier's hands and face, creating a sense of urgency and immediacy.
Context
Created in 1918, the drawing reflects the artist's experience of World War I, which heavily damaged Reims Cathedral, a subject Forain also explored in his work.
History & Provenance
The drawing is dated '9bre 1918', indicating its creation towards the end of the war, which concluded the same year.
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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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