Poilu and Prisoner c. 1914 - 1919

Jean-Louis Forain made ‘Poilu and Prisoner’ with ink and watercolour, we don't know when exactly. The brushstrokes are quick and decisive, a testament to his skill as a draughtsman. Look at the textural contrast between the dark, scrumbled ground and the smooth wash of the sky. The standing figure of the ‘poilu’ or French infantryman, is hunched over. His body is rendered with broad strokes of brown and grey. The overall effect is one of weariness and resignation, which is then echoed in the prisoner’s upward gaze and slight frame. Forain’s ability to evoke emotion through the simplest of means reminds me of Daumier. Like Daumier, Forain found a way to capture the human condition with empathy and insight. His work serves as a reminder of art’s power to bear witness and to provoke reflection.