Men Pleading Before Haughty Man

Jean-Louis Forain was a journalist and illustrator, and his corpus of drawings and prints included many political subjects and social caricatures. Forain's scenes of social commentary began in 1891, and he continued in this vein throughout the 1890s. This sheet has not yet been linked to a published lithograph, but the subject of two men pleading at the knees of a haughty gentleman suggests the satire favored by the artist. Forain does not create a sympathetic portrait, instead depicting the arrogant man with a pointed nose, upturned chin, and elbows akimbo. The artist is undoubtedly mocking his subject, much like his other caricatures of the period, which were submitted to popular Parisian publications such as 'Le Figaro' or 'Courrier Franc̜ais.'