The Adulteress (third plate 1910

Jean-Louis Forain made this etching, “The Adulteress”, with delicate strokes that capture a tense, uncertain scene. Look closely at the marks; they're not about filling in detail, but more about suggesting forms and feelings through a kind of nervous energy. The thin, scratchy lines feel immediate, almost like a quick sketch taken at the scene, and the figures emerge from the ground. The use of line is especially affecting on the central figure: see how the crisscrossing lines around her torso, and the marks suggesting her hair on the ground, emphasize both her vulnerability, and the violence of the scene. The way Forain uses the etching needle reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz’s prints. Forain wasn't interested in clean lines or perfect shapes; he was after something grittier, something real. The sketchy quality allows room for interpretation, inviting us to feel the discomfort and moral ambiguity of the moment.