L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile 1917

Jean-Louis Forain rendered L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile with watercolor, creating a dream-like vision. The monument is centrally positioned on the horizon line, the sky a soft-orange wash which is balanced by the muted tones of the landscape below. Forain’s choice of watercolor as a medium invites a semiotic reading: water itself is a symbol of fluidity and change, which challenges the Arc de Triomphe, a symbol of permanence and triumph. The indistinct forms and soft gradations of tone dissolve the monument's imposing presence. The structure is reduced to its basic geometric form—an arch—which questions the traditional values associated with this monument, its symbolism, and its cultural authority. Observe how Forain uses the inherent qualities of watercolor to destabilize established meanings. The monument appears almost mirage-like, a structure in a constant state of becoming or dissolving, reflecting a world where meanings are not fixed but are fluid and constantly evolving.