Apres l’attentat, Juin ’97 1897

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing, "Apres l’attentat, Juin ’97," using ink on paper, a common combination for journalistic sketches at the time. But consider the specific qualities of ink, how it bleeds into the fibers of the paper, creating a delicate line that seems to capture a fleeting moment. The relatively simple medium suggests the urgency with which the image was made, in the wake of a political event. The sparse detail of the ink-work throws the focus onto the figure slumped in his chair, weighed down by the gravity of his position. We see a hint of luxury in the upholstered chair, sharply contrasted with the bare desk. Forain, a painter, printmaker, and caricaturist, often turned to the ink medium, using the quick and immediate qualities of pen and ink for political commentary, imbuing it with social significance, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.