Sur le Rhin. -maintenant c'est l'arriere.
probably 1918
Medium
black crayon and graphite with black and gray wash on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 31.5 x 47.4 cm (12 3/8 x 18 11/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.4059
Art Historical Context
Jean-Louis Forain's *Sur le Rhin. -maintenant c'est'arrière* (On the Rhine. -Now It's the Rear), likely created around 1918 captures a poignant moment at the close of World War I. French and Allied forces advanced into Germany, occupying the Rhineland after the Armistice, the Rhine River marked a new boundary. Forain, a French artist known for his Impressionist influences, satirical illustrations, and vivid depictions of modern life, served as an official war artist. This drawing reflects the shifting tides of conflict, with the wry subtitle suggesting relief or irony as the front lines recede...
About the Artist
Jean-Louis Forain
Jean-Louis Forain was born Louis Henri Forain on October 23, 1852, in Reims, France, to a family of modest means; his father painted ornamental signs. The family relocated to Paris when he was eight, where young Forain developed a passion for drawing inspired by the sculptures of Reims Cathedral and the masters at the Louvre, which he began copying at age fourteen. He received drawing lessons from...