Le Comité de sécurité de la Ville de Paris et du département de la Seine, pendant la guerre de 1914-1918 1918

Jean-Paul Laurens made this painting of the Security Committee of Paris during the First World War with oil on canvas, and you can really see his process in the finished work. The painting has a dark palette, focusing on the black suits of the men who are gathered around the table, and this makes for a somber mood. You can really sense the weight of responsibility on these figures. Look at how he renders the cloth of the table and the suits of the men in the room, the brushstrokes are visible, and the paint is applied thinly in layers. This is particularly noticeable in the suit of the man furthest to the right, you can see how Laurens built up the shapes gradually using thin glazes. Laurens’ history paintings are like the work of Degas, in that they capture a sense of a particular moment, and yet you are left with a feeling that there are multiple narratives and interpretations at play.