Artwork
a) Versailles juillet. La Germania signe... (recto); b) Sketch for Figure of Germania (verso)
a) Versailles juillet. La Germania signe... (recto); b) Sketch for Figure of Germania (verso) is a crayon drawing by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This drawing, created around 1919 by Jean-Louis Forain, features two works on a single sheet: 'Versailles juillet. La Germania signe...' on the recto and 'Sketch for Figure of Germania' on the verso.
Subject & Meaning
The recto depicts two men in hasty lines, one gesturing, amidst a plain background. The notation 'La Germania signe...' suggests a connection to a historical event involving Germany, potentially a treaty or agreement.
Technique & Style
Forain employed black crayon and brown wash on wove paper for the recto, and black crayon alone on the verso, capturing the scene with rapid, expressive strokes, characteristic of a study or preparatory work.
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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Figure Sketches (verso)