⸻ ?️ Description of the work This pencil drawing, signed J. Wély around 1900, illustrates a cooking or serving scene in a domestic or restaurant context. • At the center of the composition, a woman is seen in profile, facing to the right. She wears a long light dress and a black apron tied at the back. • She holds two pots or large cooking vessels in her hands, appearing focused on her task. • To the right, on a table, are several kitchen utensils: a teapot or coffee pot, a sugar bowl, and a pot with a long ladle. The graphic style remains true to Wély's: a lively, expressive line, a controlled economy of details, and a particular attention to postures. The woman's voluminous silhouette and hunched back evoke both the fatigue and routine of domestic work, while the objects on the table enhance the realistic and almost theatrical dimension. ⸻ This work, like others by Jacques Wély, reflects his interest in ordinary gestures, popular figures, and small scenes of daily life, often treated with discreet humor, even a hint of satire. ? Jacques Wély – Brief biography Jacques Wély was a French illustrator, caricaturist, and draftsman active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He distinguished himself through his regular contributions to satirical and illustrated press, particularly in newspapers such as Le Rire, L’Assiette au Beurre, and Le Figaro illustré. Wély was particularly known for his humorous genre scenes, often centered on the Parisian bourgeoisie, high society, artists, and employees. His lively and expressive line, combined with a keen observation of characters and attitudes, made him a graphic chronicler of his time, in the lineage of artists like Jean-Louis Forain or Charles Léandre. Died in 1910, Jacques Wély left behind a subtle and lively body of work, a valuable witness to French society during the Belle Époque. Type: Drawing Material: Pencil Genre: Art Deco Theme: Character