Artwork
Sur le lit (On the Bed)
Sur le lit (On the Bed) is an ink print by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:"forain" lower right margin, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "3e etat" lower left margin, graphite, artist's hand. "G 67 III Sur le lit" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "A 26600" lowe rright margin, graphite, unknown hand. "24" upper left margin, grapite, unknown hand. "14970" lower left 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
Sur le lit (On the Bed) is an etching on laid Van Gelder paper created by French artist Jean-Louis Forain around 1909. The work is a print, characteristic of Forain's diverse output as a painter and printmaker.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a person reclining on a bed, with tangled sheets and disheveled hair, set against a dark, abstract background. The scene is intimate and domestic, capturing a moment of quiet repose.
Technique & Style
Forain employed a loose, expressive style in Sur le lit, using overlapping lines to create texture and convey a sense of spontaneity. The etching technique, involving acid and needles, allowed for a rough, sketch-like quality that adds to the work's immediacy.
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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