Artwork
Sur le Front. -C'est sa theorie? -Non, c'est son breviaire.
Sur le Front. -C'est sa theorie? -Non, c'est son breviaire. is a watercolor drawing by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created circa 1916, this drawing by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain portrays a brief wartime encounter on the Western Front.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain" lower right margin, black crayon, artist's hand. Not dated. "-C'est sa theorie? / -Non, c'est son breviaire." lower left margin, graphite, artist's hand. "Sur le Front" upper left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "A 2388" 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
Overview
Created circa 1916, this drawing by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain portrays a brief wartime encounter on the Western Front. Executed on wove paper, the composition combines black crayon, brush and ink with selective white opaque watercolor corrections, yielding a stark, monochromatic image punctuated by subtle highlights.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows two soldiers: one emerging from a trench, clutching a book, while a second remains inside, rifle in hand, observing. The juxtaposition of a combatant and a figure seemingly absorbed in reading suggests a contrast between the immediacy of battle and moments of personal contemplation amid the war.
Technique & Style
Forain employs a limited palette, drawing the figures and trench with dense black crayon and ink washes. Brushwork creates atmospheric depth, and later white watercolor touches serve as corrective highlights, emphasizing the soldiers’ outlines and the book’s pages. The overall effect is graphic and restrained, echoing the artist’s printmaking background.
History & Provenance
The work belongs to Forain’s wartime output, a period when he turned his attention to contemporary events. Produced during the latter years of World War I, it reflects his engagement with the conflict’s human dimension. Its subsequent ownership history is not detailed in the source material.
Context
Forain, often associated with the Impressionist and Post‑Impressionist circles, expanded his practice to include socially relevant subjects during the 1910s. This drawing aligns with a broader trend among artists of the era who documented the front lines, offering personal, observational perspectives rather than grandiose battle scenes.
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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.
- Ceux de la premiere heure. "Sire! ou en somme-nous de "la guerre fraiche et joyeuse"? ..."
Ceux de la priemiere heure. "Sire! ou en somme-nous de "la guerre fraiche et joyeuse"?..."
L'attaque d'une "place forte" anglaise
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Untitled
Ceux de la priemiere heure. "Sire! ou en somme-nous de la guerre fraiche et joyeuse!"
Untitled
"They Are Burning Everything - They must be about to Retreat"
a) After Douai (recto); b) Untitled (verso)
German Advance