Bredouilles. l’Equipage d’un Zeppelin c. 1915

Jean-Louis Forain’s drawing Bredouilles, l’Equipage d’un Zeppelin, is made with subtle pencil shading to create a somber mood. The drawing feels like a study of the weight of defeat, a reflection on the human condition amid conflict. I can almost feel Forain’s hand moving across the paper, capturing these men with empathy. The artist seems to be asking what it means to fail, to return empty-handed. He captures the slouching posture of a man, his face etched with disappointment, and the stark lines of the leader who turns his back on them. You know, it reminds me of other works from that time, like Käthe Kollwitz's prints, which also capture the emotional toll of war and loss. These artists are talking to one another, across time and space, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling. Painting and drawing aren’t just about what's on the surface; they're about digging deeper into what it means to be human.