In School 

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing called, ‘In School’ using pen and black ink. It depicts a courtroom scene. The themes that Forain regularly explored in his art – law, poverty, class difference – were all subjects of public debate in France during the Third Republic. The Third Republic was founded on the ruins of the Franco-Prussian War, an event that polarized French society. In this sketch, Forain depicts a seemingly private exchange between a young girl, a woman and a man, likely a lawyer or judge, but he does so in a very public place. In the background, we see other spectators seated behind a barrier. The setting suggests that people's lives are often the subject of public scrutiny, especially in the lower classes. To better understand Forain's drawing, we might look to the popular press and periodicals of his time, or the records of legal proceedings. The work of art, like other historical documents, can tell us much about social and institutional life.