Artwork
a) L'Englise de leurs peres (recto); b) Man with Cigarette (verso)
a) L'Englise de leurs peres (recto); b) Man with Cigarette (verso) is an ink drawing by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This double-sided drawing, created around 1916 by Jean-Louis Forain, features two distinct scenes on wove paper: a church interior on the recto, titled 'L'Englise de leurs peres', and a figure with a cigarette on the verso, known as 'Man with Cigarette'.
Subject & Meaning
The recto depicts a church interior, while the verso shows a man in a hat and long coat holding a cigarette, gesturing upwards with three children nearby, also looking up.
Technique & Style
Forain employed brush and black ink on both sides, adding black crayon to the recto. The drawing is characterized by quick, sketchy lines that convey movement and focus, with simplified facial features, particularly in the children's faces.
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) Negotiations at the Trianon Palace, Versailles (recto); b) Study for Negotiations at the Trianon Palace, Versailles (verso)
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