Hiding the "louis"

Art Historical Context

Jean-Louis Forain’s drawing *Hiding the “louis”* captures a fleeting, intimate moment with the artist’s characteristic wit and social insight. Created between 1914 and 1919, during the years of World War I, the work likely comments on the economic anxieties of the period, when ordinary people sometimes concealed gold coins—the famous “louis”—to protect their savings amid uncertainty and inflation. Forain, long celebrated for his sharp observations of Parisian life, uses the scene to hint at both human vulnerability and quiet resilience. Executed in brush and black ink with black crayon on laid Van Gelder paper, the drawing showcases Forain’s fluid draftsmanship. The rich blacks and soft tonal passages allow him to model figures and suggest space with economy and drama, a technique honed through years of producing illustrations for newspapers and journals. Measuring roughly 46 by 57 centimeters, the sheet balances bold line work with subtle shading, inviting viewers to linger over the small gesture at its center. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection, the drawing preserves a vivid slice of early-twentieth-century French experience. Forain’s ability to blend everyday detail with broader cultural commentary continues to make the work both historically resonant and visually engaging for today’s visitors.

About the Artist

Jean-Louis Forain · 1852–1931

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...