Bolo pacha c. 1914 - 1919

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing called Bolo Pacha using charcoal, and maybe some conté crayon. You can see the process right there on the page – the smudges, the layered strokes, and the way the artist has built up the figures out of simple marks. I love the contrast between the density of the charcoal and the way the figures seem to dissolve into the background. The face of the seated figure is almost frightening, a dark pit of despair, whereas the figure standing looms like a shadow. Look at the white space around the edges, it feels like the scene is emerging from a fog. Forain was working at the same time as Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, and you can see some similarities in their focus on everyday life and the figure. But there's an emotional directness here that feels very personal and contemporary. Like all great art, it leaves you with more questions than answers.