Chez les Satisfaits 

Jean-Louis Forain created this ink drawing, *Chez les Satisfaits*, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Forain was deeply influenced by the social and political upheavals of his time, including the Franco-Prussian War and the rise of the bourgeoisie. The drawing depicts two men, one in bed smoking a cigar, the other standing in an apron. The title, which translates to "Among the Satisfied," hints at the complacency and moral decay that Forain saw in the upper classes. He saw the identities of the upper class as being defined by corruption, decadence, and hypocrisy. The stark contrast between the figures is striking. The man in bed embodies the indulgence and idleness of the wealthy, while the man standing appears to be a servant or worker. The drawing challenges traditional representations of class, revealing the dark underbelly of bourgeois society, and invites us to reflect on the cost of such satisfaction.