A Versailles juillet 1919 II c. 1919

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing, *A Versailles juillet 1919 II*, with what looks like charcoal or maybe conté crayon. The approach is immediate, gestural, and raw, like the process is about capturing a feeling more than depicting something perfectly. The texture is rough and scratchy, not blended. The lines build up to create the shadows, especially in the figure’s clothes and face, which adds a real weight. Look at how the strokes define the angle of the chair, the sharp edge of the table. Then, the way that little feather sticks out from the inkwell is like a punchline. It’s a moment of lightness in an otherwise heavy scene. It reminds me of some of Daumier’s courtroom sketches, capturing those tense moments. It’s like Forain is less interested in the facts and more interested in the mood, the psychological space, of a moment in time.