Breakfast (vertical plate) c. 1895

Curator: Jean-Louis Forain's "Breakfast (vertical plate)," created around 1895, offers a glimpse into a late 19th-century interior. Editor: It strikes me as a scene shrouded in intimacy. The subdued grayscale and wispy lines add to this rather somber atmosphere, almost dreamlike. Curator: The work is a lithograph printed on paper, employing etching and pencil to build out the scene. Forain was well known for his genre paintings, depictions of everyday life—particularly life among the Parisian working class and bourgeoisie. This piece offers an almost voyeuristic view into someone’s morning routine. Editor: Look at the dynamic contrast! The figure at right is built from very dense hatching, a stark and heavy shape anchored in the scene. Meanwhile, the figure in bed feels lighter, less defined... more ephemeral, if you will. The canopied bed itself becomes an important compositional element here, doesn’t it? Its peaked form echoing in the dark woman's hooded shape, almost like they're both in miniature houses. Curator: I agree. We see a common dynamic played out across Impressionist prints and drawings: the depiction of interior spaces and private moments speaks to the growing emphasis on individuality and domesticity at the time. The image can also suggest the class divisions prevalent in Parisian society; the maid tending to the needs of her employer. Editor: Indeed. You can follow Forain’s rapid movements throughout, a network of short hatches to build form. There are plenty of expressive diagonals at play that amplify the feeling of passing time. Curator: Forain walked a line with his imagery, at once celebrating the freedoms of modern Parisian life and critiquing the societal inequities that accompanied them. We, the viewers, are presented with a slice of existence, complete with both its comforts and inherent tensions. Editor: Ultimately, that interplay of light and shadow, solid form and hazy suggestion, yields something incredibly potent. The artist managed to create a delicate balance that is quite appealing. Curator: It does offer an interesting view into fin-de-siècle Paris through its graphic elements.