Gens de chez nous

Chabot describes this situation:

     Life has become hard. De Bruycker is sick. He is brought by taxi to
     sit on the steps in front of a café. He nestles into a corner and
     chain-smokes his cigarettes. Concealed, he draws like one possessed.
     The other guests sit with their backs toward him, he observes them
     and penetrates their character.[109]

These studies of people from various walks of life, often done from the back, appeared in 1942, as Gens de chez nous (People From Around Here, cat. no. 48).