At the Theater c. 1892

Jean-Louis Forain created "At the Theater," using etching and drypoint, presenting a window into Parisian society. Forain, living through the turbulent years of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, captured the social dynamics of his time. The scene unfolds within the confines of a theater box, a space traditionally associated with wealth and status. Yet, Forain disrupts this narrative. The figures are rendered with a stark realism, highlighting the subtle tensions and power dynamics. We are made voyeurs, allowed to observe the unacknowledged and charged interactions between men and women. Are we looking at pleasure or social pressure? Forain’s choice to focus on the audience, rather than the stage, suggests a commentary on spectatorship itself. We are invited to consider our own role in observing and interpreting social interactions. This piece asks us to consider the theater as a space of social performance and to think about who is performing for whom.