The End – Verdun c. 1916

Jean-Louis Forain made this drawing, *The End – Verdun*, with ink, probably not long after the battle. The starkness of the image, rendered through rapid, scratchy lines, echoes the brutality of war. The bodies sprawled on the ground, etched with frantic strokes, convey the chaos and finality of death. Look at the way Forain uses line to build up the forms, almost like he's sculpting with darkness. The headstone looms in the background, a crude marker amidst the devastation. It’s a powerful, unsettling image. It reminds me a bit of Goya’s Disasters of War, with that same unflinching gaze at human suffering. But Forain brings a uniquely modern sensibility, capturing the immediacy of the moment. The rawness of the marks suggests a sense of urgency. It’s a stark reminder that art doesn't always need to be pretty, sometimes it needs to be honest, even when it hurts.