Plate from l'Assommoir (blacksmith) 1878

This etching, part of a series illustrating Émile Zola's novel "L'Assommoir," depicts a blacksmith at work. Created by French artist Gaston La Touche in 1878, the piece showcases La Touche's mastery of chiaroscuro, the contrast between light and dark, which gives the scene a dramatic depth. The blacksmith, silhouetted against the glowing forge, embodies the harsh realities of working-class life in 19th-century Paris, a theme central to Zola's novel.