Hiding the "louis"

c. 1914/1919

Jean-Louis Forain

Associated Names
Jean-Louis Forain

Artist, French, 1852 - 1931

The image is a pencil sketch showing two individuals depicted in full body length. The person on the left is standing with a slight forward lean, dressed in a long coat and wearing a helmet, with lines suggesting facial features obscured by the helmet's construction. Their feet are clad in boots, and they hold an object at their side. On the right, the second person stands upright beside the wall of a structure, with one arm extended outwards. This individual wears a flowing garment with a head covering adorned with some sort of protrusion on the top. The facial features appear stylized in a simplistic manner, suggesting sharp angles. On the ground near this figure are rounded shapes that could represent rocks or similar objects. The background reveals a lightly sketched area with subtle outlines, giving a sense of an outdoor setting with minimal detail.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    brush and black ink and black crayon on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 41.5 x 57.4 cm (16 5/16 x 22 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.4040


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], Jenkintown, PA; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

"forain" lower right margin, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "Simple constat. [underlined] / "Cachottière! on piétine les "louis" dans ta cave."" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "A 2277" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. Verso: none.

Markings

"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).

Watermarks

[Fortune figure] / "VAN GELDER ZONEN"

Wikidata ID

Q64581418

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