
Read the visual description
The sketch shows various people in different upper body positions. One man is in the foreground leaning forward, possibly resting his head on his hand. He has a mustache and short, combed-back hair. Next to him is another man with a mustache and thinning hair, slightly turned. The other people in the background appear casual or introspective. Two women are shown, one smiling slightly with voluminous hair possibly decorated with flowers, while the other has similar hair but her face is partly obscured. Another man wears a hat and coat, with less distinct facial features due to sketchy shading. The people are depicted in suits or formal attire typical of the early 20th century. The background features quick, cross-hatched lines creating a busy texture with no specific setting or objects. No jewelry or objects are shown in the sketch.
National Gallery of Art · Print
A la table de jeu (1ère planche) (At the Gambling Table) (first plate)
Jean-Louis Forain
- Date
- 1909
- Medium
- etching and drypoint on wove paper
- Dimensions
- plate: 21.6 × 27.8 cm (8 1/2 × 10 15/16 in.) sheet: 29.4 × 42.3 cm (11 9/16 × 16 5/8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 1943.3.3780
- Credit line
- Rosenwald Collection
- Time span
- 1901 to 1925
- Department
- CG-E
Subjects and terms
- French
- Hat
- Party
- Figures
Provenance
Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], Jenkintown, PA; gift to NGA, 1943.
Inscription
"forain" lower right margin, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "G. 71 IV a la table de jeu (1ere planche)" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "c. 7913" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "G 71 III" lower left margin, graphite, unknown hand. "A 26604" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "47" lower right margin, graphite, unknown hand. "27" upper left margin, graphite, unknown hand. Verso: none.
Marks
"LRJ" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1760b). "National Gallery of Art" verso, black stamped ink, (Lugt 1932d).
Watermarks
None.
NGA object ID 6898. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.