a) Le baiser du drapeau (recto); b) Study of Le baiser du drapeau (verso)

Jean-Louis Forain

National Gallery of Art

The drawing depicts two full-bodied figures in the foreground. The figure on the right is a soldier, while the figure on the left is a person in a dress. The soldier's head is slightly tilted downward as he interacts with a flag or draped cloth. The person in a dress appears to be holding the opposite end of the flag or cloth. The soldier's facial features are obscured by shadow, and the person in a dress is drawn in profile. Text is handwritten across the top, pertaining to Marshal Pétain. The background includes rough sketches of additional figures and a distant group or crowd.