1908
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Témoins à l'audience (2e planche) (Evidence at the Hearing) (second plate) is a 1908 ink by Jean-Louis Forain, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows four people crowded into a small space, leaning forward as if watching something urgent. Their faces are drawn with quick, rough lines, and their clothes look wrinkled and worn. Behind them, a simple building with a flat roof and a balcony is barely sketched in. The artist used a technique that lets ink spread unevenly, giving the whole scene a grainy, almost smudged look. This makes the figures feel tense and alive, like they’re caught in a moment of real drama. Next, check out how etching works to see how artists create these bold, textured prints.
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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