L’heure des gothas c. 1914 - 1919

"L’heure des gothas" by French artist Jean-Louis Forain, c. 1914 - 1919, is a poignant charcoal drawing depicting a mother nursing her infant amidst a desolate, barely furnished interior. The composition is characterized by its stark simplicity, highlighting the raw vulnerability of the figures. The artist's signature in the lower right corner, along with the title, "The hour of the Gothas," alludes to the World War I air raids that ravaged Paris during this period. Forain's drawing captures the anxieties and struggles of wartime civilian life, showcasing the resilience of everyday people in the face of hardship.