Private Dining Room Scene (horizontal plate) c. 1905

This image of a private dining room scene was made by Jean-Louis Forain, but we don't know exactly when. Look at the scratchy lines and sparse detail which have really captured a moment, like a blurry snapshot. I can imagine Forain rapidly sketching this scene in a darkened room. It could have been a way for him to process ideas and feelings. You can feel his hand moving, quick and light over the paper. I'm fascinated by how the artist conveys depth and texture with the bare minimum of means. The woman's dress is rendered with a flurry of lines, communicating both her presence and her fleeting existence in this space. Is she fixing her hair, or striking a pose? The slumped man could be a parody of the idle rich. What do you think he has been up to? It looks like Forain is drawing inspiration from Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec. The artistic community in France at the time was a real hothouse of ideas and creative experimentation.