News in the Trenches c. 1914 - 1919

"News in the Trenches" is a charcoal drawing created by the French artist Jean-Louis Forain around the time of World War I. The drawing portrays a soldier in the trenches, receiving news from a comrade, likely about the war's progress. The depiction of the soldier, hunched and somber, highlights the somber realities of life in the trenches. Forain's drawing exemplifies the artist's signature style of loose, gestural lines and stark contrasts of light and dark. The work is a powerful testament to the artist's interest in social and political themes and offers a glimpse into the horrors of war.