Jean-Louis Forain

Mercury Gallery, London where bought by Sir David Scott, 30 April 1969 for £220

SHEET The sheet has been taped to the mount along the upper edge. There is a very small pinhole to the right of the stamp and minor spots of surface dirt in places. Otherwise in good condition. FRAME Held in a simple wooden frame under a canvas inset; under glass.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'Forain was, I think, a pupil of Degas and his easy inevitable flowing line is unmistakable[...] How well Forain draws clothing and depicts emotion'. Sir David Scott 

Forain was born on the 23 October 1852 in Rheims and died on 11 June 1931 in Paris. Around 1860 he moved with his family to Paris where he later became a student of Gerome and Carpeaux at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and he supplemented his formal education with frequent visits to the Louvre. It was not long before he found a ready market for his drawings, submitting illustrations to various journals such as Le Rire Satirique.

Forain participated in the Franco-Prussian War and was a friend of the poets Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud. He first met Édouard Manet through his friendship with Edgar Degas in the early 1870s at the salon of Nina de Callias, and he continued to associate with Manet, often at the Café Guerbois and the Café de la Nouvelle Athènes.

Forain was one of the most important artists of the first decades of the twentieth century, frequently compared to Rembrandt for his emotional power as an etcher. He also enjoyed drawing caricatures, some of his most satirical of subjects being lawyers and court officials and society belles.