Jean Francois Raffaelli

Raffaelli studied briefly under Gerome, He was born and died in Paris. The author Emile Zola was an early admirer,and although Raffaelli’s style was clearly different from most of the impressionist painters, Degas invited him to exhibit in the Impressionist exhibitions of 1880 and 1881. Indeed he had more paintings in the 1881 show than any other artist.
However after he received much critical attention and praise,Gaugin and Guillaumin both issued a public declaration that if Raffaelli were included in the 1882 exhibition, they would not exhibit. Initially his paintings depicted the changing urban landscape and its characters including the Absinthe drinkers and the rag-pickers, keenly portraying the underside of the prosperity gained from the industrial revolution. Where there had been farms there were now urban developments and factories. In the 1890s his works such as the one illustrated above were highly sought after and brought him increased prosperity.