Artwork

Le calvaire (1ère planche) (Calvary) (first plate)

Le calvaire (1ère planche) (Calvary) (first plate), by Jean-Louis Forain, ink, 1902
Le calvaire (1ère planche) (Calvary) (first plate), by Jean-Louis Forain, ink, 1902

Le calvaire (1ère planche) (Calvary) (first plate) is an ink print by Jean-Louis Forain. It dates from 1902 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Le calvaire (1ère planche) is an etching on laid Van Gelder paper created by Jean-Louis Forain in 1902. It is a print that showcases the artist's skill in capturing a scene with expressive lines.

Subject & Meaning

The etching depicts a group of people by water, with figures in long robes on the left and a man carrying a tall pole on the right, accompanied by a child and another person. The scene is suggestive, rather than explicitly narrative.

Technique & Style

Forain employed a range of line weights and densities to convey movement and mass, using loose and quick strokes to capture the figures and hinting at the water's surface with faint marks. The etching technique allowed for expressive variation in the image.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Jean-Louis Forain

Artist

Jean-Louis Forain

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.