Artwork
The Man Who Fired upon Clemenceau
The Man Who Fired upon Clemenceau is a drawing by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jean Louis Forain’s drawing, titled The Man Who Fired upon Clemenceau and dated circa 1919, is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Executed in a monochrome medium, the work presents a solitary figure seated on a modest bed within a sparsely furnished interior, his posture suggesting contemplation or distress.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a man whose bowed head and hunched shoulders convey a mood of resignation or inner turmoil. Though the title references a historical episode involving the French statesman Georges Clemenceau, the image itself offers no explicit narrative details, leaving the viewer to infer a personal or political crisis.
Technique & Style
Forain employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, juxtaposing deep shadows with limited illumination that falls on the sitter’s form. This contrast heightens the three‑dimensionality of the figure and accentuates the emotional weight of the scene. The drawing’s line work remains restrained, allowing tonal modeling to dominate the visual impact.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after World War I, the piece entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the mid‑20th century. Its provenance prior to museum ownership is not extensively documented, but the work reflects Forain’s post‑war output and his engagement with contemporary political themes.
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.
a) Au congres de la Paix (recto); b) Untitled (verso)
Untitled
Fille-mère (1ère planche) (Unwed Mother) (first plate)
At the Peace Conference
Untitled
a) Bolo pacha (recto); Study for Bolo pacha (verso)
Untitled
The Prisoner (Der Gefangene)
Parfois on trouve un vieux flacon qui se souvient, d'ou jaillit toute vive une ame qui revient (Sometimes one finds an old reminiscing flask, whence issues in full life a returning soul)
A Versailles juillet 1919
The Departure for Versailles
Celui qui tira sur Clémenceau