Jean-Louis Forain was born in Reims on 23 Octobre 1852. In 1876, while living a bohemian Montmartre life, Forain published his first satirical drawings in Le Scapin, and then in La Cravache Parisienne, La République des Lettres, La Vie Moderne, and Le Monde Parisien. A close friend to Degas, the painter participated in the Impressionists’ exhibitions from 1879 to 1886 thanks to the master’s initiative.
Forain’s line was sharp. The artist excoriated bourgeois conventions and denounced political contradictions in a vivid style with vibrant colours. His favourite subjects are related to his time: places of entertainment, street scenes, cafés and racecourses. In 1886, the art dealer Durand-Ruel exhibited his paintings in New York alongside Degas, Manet, Renoir, Monet, or Pissarro. At the same time, the artist continued his work as an illustrator for major newspapers, which gave substance to his raw interpretations of Parisian society.
From 1900 onwards, Forain’s palette darkened serving political works that depicted the First World War. In 1913, a monographic exhibition dedicated Jean-Louis Forain’s work was organised at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs with nearly four hundred works.
The painter died on July 11, 1931 at his Parisian home.
BRAFA 2020
26 January 2020 - 2 February 2020