Jean-Francois Raffaelli

"Le Marchand de Habits" original etching

circa 1895

Jean-François Raffaëlli was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker known for his realist depictions of Parisian street life and rural scenes. Born in Paris, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Léon Bonnat, but otherwise had no other formal training. Around 1876 he turned his attention to the Paris suburbs, where he began sketching the daily lives of peasants, ragpickers, and workers, as well as scenes of industry and everyday street scenes. This shift into the anti-aesthetic was inspired by the writings of Zola and the philosophy of Hippolyte-Adolphe Taine. Though ardently anti-label, he was greatly inspired by the modern styles of the day and wished to connect to the artists who led the charge, especially in Impressionism. Though he was generally considered to be strictly Realist, Degas was one of his champions, and insisted on his inclusion in the 6th and 7th Impressionist exhibition in 1881 and 1882, much to the dismay of many leading Impressionists of the day, including Monet. Despite the outcry, his painting "The Absinthe Drinkers" won broad favorable criticism. Raffaëlli exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon and became associated with the Naturalist movement, portraying the working class, craftsmen, and urban scenes with careful observation and subtle social commentary. He also produced pastels, lithographs, and sculptures, and continued to work in Paris until his death in 1924.