Suspension d'audience (Recess of the Hearing)

Executed as a lithograph, the composition was drawn directly onto a stone surface before being transferred to paper, a process that preserves the artist’s original line work. Forain’s handling is deliberately rough and textured, with swift, scratchy strokes that convey movement and the bustling atmosphere of the courtroom while retaining an unfinished, sketch‑like quality.

Forain, who enjoyed considerable commercial success during his lifetime, often turned to contemporary social and judicial subjects. This 1914 print, produced amid the upheavals of early‑twentieth‑century France, reflects his interest in documenting public life. It remains part of the artist’s print oeuvre, circulating through private collections and occasional museum exhibitions.