Jeanne Forain 1865-1954

Jeanne Bosc married the painter Jean-Louis Forain (1852–1931) in 1891; he was one of the most famous caricaturists of the Belle Époque. She was the eldest of four children. Her father was a French-Latin-Greek professor at the Jesuit College Rollin in Paris, and her mother worked voluntarily as a midwife. Camille Pissarro was the first to notice Jeanne’s talent while the Bosc family lived in Auvers-sur-Oise and encouraged her to pursue painting. Upon returning to Paris, her parents allowed her to study at the Louvre and in various ateliers.

Jeanne Forain’s artistic career began in 1889 when she was admitted to the Salon des artistes français. She subsequently exhibited at the Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1890 and 1925, at the Société des humoristes français after World War I, and at the Salon National Indépendant in 1938. She occasionally sold her works through her husband’s dealers, including the Bernheim brothers and Mme Allard.

The Forains were well-connected in Parisian artistic and literary circles, associating with figures such as Robert de Montesquiou, Edgar Degas, Henri and Marie de Régnier, and Anna de Noailles. Family members, friends, acquaintances, and Parisian society often served as subjects for her post-impressionist portraits. Jeanne Forain stood out particularly for her depictions of children. She also created marionettes for the Théâtre des Nabots, which she founded in 1904. Close collaborators included her husband, who drew the cover of the theatre booklet, Caran d’Ache, who designed the sets, and Charles-Marie Widor, who composed the music. The performances, attended by all of Paris, benefited disadvantaged children.

Jeanne Forain is buried alongside her husband at the Chesnay cemetery. A monographic exhibition of her work was held at the Musée Alfred-Canel in Pont-Audemer as part of the Normandie Impressionniste festival in 2016. Her works are included in several public collections in France, notably at the Petit Palais, the Centre National des Arts Plastiques, and the Musée Carnavalet in Paris, as well as at the Musée Alfred-Canel in Pont-Audemer.