La sortie de l'audience (1ère planche) (Coming Out of the Hearing) (first plate)

Forain employed the traditional intaglio process of etching, using a needle to incise lines into a copper plate before printing onto the textured Van Gelder paper. The drawing is characterized by loose, hurried strokes that suggest movement in clothing and hair, and the background walls and floor are rendered with scratchy, gestural marks, giving the image a spontaneous, almost photographic quality.

Created during the later phase of Forain’s career, the print aligns with his broader output in etching and lithography, mediums through which he documented modern Parisian life. While specific ownership records are limited, the work is catalogued among Forain’s prints from the early 20th century and has appeared in several exhibitions of his graphic oeuvre.

At the turn of the century, Forain was a prolific contributor to newspapers and magazines, often illustrating current events. This print reflects the period’s fascination with urban legal institutions and the growing public awareness of civic processes, themes that resonated with contemporary audiences and positioned Forain as a chronicler of everyday French society.