Artwork
Scène de cabinet particulier (planche en largeur au lavis) (Scene in a Private Room) (horizontal plate with wash)
Scène de cabinet particulier (planche en largeur au lavis) (Scene in a Private Room) (horizontal plate with wash) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created circa 1896, this lithographic print by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain portrays a modest interior space.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain" lower right composition, in stone, artist's hand. Not dated. "Scebe de cabinet particulier. epreuve unique" verso, lower left sheet, graphite, unknown hand. "EE672" verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand. "E008" verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand.
- Markings
- Marked:(Marcel Louis Guerin collector's stamp) lower left composition, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1872b). "LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1896, this lithographic print by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain portrays a modest interior space. Executed in brown and black on wove paper, the image captures a quiet moment in a private room, rendered with a soft, atmospheric wash that gives the scene a subdued, intimate quality.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a seated couple: a man in a hat is absorbed in a newspaper, while a woman in a dark dress rests nearby, her posture suggesting contemplation. The arrangement of figures and the careful illumination of the tabletop papers emphasize everyday domestic life and the private rituals of reading and conversation.
Technique & Style
Forain employed a lithographic process using brown and black inks, applying a wash (lavis) to blur edges and create tonal gradations. The use of wove paper provides a slightly textured surface that enhances the subtle tonal shifts, while the limited palette reinforces the muted, nocturnal ambience typical of his late‑19th‑century prints.
History & Provenance
The work belongs to Forain’s mature period, when he was a prolific printmaker alongside his painting practice. Though popular with contemporary audiences, his reputation has since receded relative to some Impressionist peers. The print is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is displayed among other French prints of the era.
Context
Forain’s print reflects the influence of his Parisian contemporaries, notably Henri de Toulouse‑Lautrec, whose own lithographs often depicted intimate interiors and social scenes. The piece aligns with the broader trend in late 19th‑century French art toward capturing fleeting, everyday moments through the immediacy of print media.
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.
- En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (In a Private Room) (first plate)
En cabinet particulier (1ère planche) (In a Private Room) (first plate)
Scène de cabinet particulier (planche en largeur) (Scene in a Private Room) (horizontal plate)
Le cabinet particulier (5e planche) (The Private Room) (fifth plate)
Le cabinet particulier (4e planche) (The Private Room) (fourth plate)
En cabinet particulier (3e planche) (In a Private Room) (third plate)