Artwork
La friction au gant de crin (Massage with Coarse Hair Glove)
La friction au gant de crin (Massage with Coarse Hair Glove) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1895, this lithograph by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain presents a solitary female figure in a quiet interior.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1895, this lithograph by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain presents a solitary female figure in a quiet interior.
Created in 1895, this lithograph by French artist Jean‑Louis Forain presents a solitary female figure in a quiet interior. Rendered in a uniform brown tone on a thick sheet of Japanese paper, the image conveys a sense of stillness through its restrained palette and simplified composition. The work belongs to Forain’s extensive output of prints that documented everyday scenes of late‑19th‑century Paris.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a nude woman turned away from the viewer, her head slightly inclined to the right. She leans against a table or counter, one hand resting on the surface, while her weight rests on a single leg, suggesting a moment of repose. The title alludes to a massage performed with a coarse‑hair glove, implying a private ritual of relaxation and personal care within a domestic setting.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on a single brown ink applied to heavy Japan paper, a material prized for its smooth, absorbent surface. Forain’s line work is economical, using broad, fluid strokes to define the figure’s contours and the surrounding space. The limited tonal range emphasizes volume through subtle gradations of darkness, while the warm, earthy background unifies the scene and enhances the figure’s skin tones.
History & Provenance
Forain, who worked in oils, watercolors, pastels, etchings, and lithographs, was commercially successful during his lifetime, catering to the tastes of a Parisian market eager for depictions of contemporary life. This particular print was produced in the mid‑1890s, a period when the artist was actively publishing images for newspapers and periodicals. Its later ownership records are sparse, reflecting the gradual decline in Forain’s critical reputation after his death.
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.
On sonne! Si c'est l'Anglais d'hier maman tu t'en iras!
Danseuses dans leur loge (Dancers in Their Dressing Room)
Untitled
Woman Washing Herself (Femme qui se lave)
En cabinet particulier (3e planche) (In a Private Room) (third plate)
Woman Bathing
Le bain (planche en hauteur) (The Bath) (vertical plate)
La loge de la danseuse (2e planche) (The Dancer's Dressing Room) (second plate)
The Sisters