Morning 

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing called 'Morning' using pencil on paper. The choice of material is interesting; pencil drawings like this are typically considered preliminary, a means to an end in a painting or more finished artwork. But here, the sketch *is* the artwork. The loose lines and visible erasures give the drawing an immediacy, capturing a fleeting moment of vulnerability. Forain was known for his depictions of Parisian life, and here, we see a woman caught in a private moment, perhaps exhausted or contemplative at the start of her day. The rough strokes suggest a certain roughness in life, a lack of polish. There is a great deal of labor involved here, in both the making and depiction of a certain class, with the work offering a glimpse into the everyday struggles and quiet moments of ordinary people. It is through attention to this material reality, to the making and context of the work, that we can move beyond traditional interpretations and appreciate the full social resonance of Forain's drawing.