C’est trop dangereux pres de votre ambulance c. 1914 - 1919

Editor: Jean-Louis Forain’s drawing, “C’est trop dangereux pres de votre ambulance,” probably made between 1914 and 1919, is just… intense. The stark lines and the obvious tension are unsettling. I wonder, what jumps out at you when you see this piece? Curator: It throws me right into the thick of it, doesn't it? Forain’s sketch-like approach, like capturing a fleeting memory, puts us almost voyeuristically at the scene. The rawness amplifies the terror and the warning of the inscription… it’s a drawing, yet screams with immediacy. Notice the economy of line… everything is essential to convey that sense of palpable dread. I’d wager that those subtle choices mirror the fractured mental states surrounding the First World War. What does it conjure for you? Editor: Definitely a sense of being in the moment, with very high stakes. It’s unnerving, actually, especially how little color is used; the figures are so bare and vulnerable-looking. It’s hard to believe such emotion can be conveyed with so little. Curator: Exactly. It's the power of suggestion, that's the true art. I’m particularly struck by the title. "It's too dangerous near your ambulance." As an artwork intended to elicit emotional connection from its audience, does this artwork make you reflect on danger? Editor: Absolutely. It makes you think about where people sought safety and shelter and how even those places were threatened in wartime. It really gets under your skin. Curator: And perhaps, lingers there… nudging at our collective consciousness, even now. What I see in this image isn’t a depiction of the end of the First World War; instead, it shows the beginning. Editor: It makes the phrase “Never forget” hit a lot harder now. Thanks!