Woman and Two Children with German Soldiers c. 1914 - 1919

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing, Woman and Two Children with German Soldiers, using ink, and it feels immediate, like a captured moment. I’m struck by the confident, almost blunt mark-making. Look at how the figures are built up with these rapid strokes. It’s all about process; you can almost feel Forain’s hand moving across the paper, deciding what to include and what to leave out. The negative space becomes as important as the drawn figures themselves. The contrast between the solid, looming presence of the soldiers and the more fragile depiction of the woman and children creates a strong emotional charge. The soldier on the right is barely there – just a few lines suggesting a figure – yet his presence is palpable. It's like a ghost, a specter of authority. This reminds me a little of Kathe Kollwitz's stark, emotionally charged prints, both artists using a kind of directness to convey deep feeling. Art is never just about what you see, it's about what you feel, and this piece really gets under my skin.