(1850-1924)

Jean Francois Raffaelli portrait painter, landscape artist, genre painter, engraver lithographer and sculptor, born in Paris on April 20, 1850, died in the same city on February 29,1924 (French School).

Before dedicating himself to painting, Raffaelli was an actor and played in the Lyric Theater. He then entered Gerome's studio and made his debut at the Salon of 1870. At first he painted genre pictures. Then in 1879 he began doing picturesque views of quaint Paris neighborhoods. A voyage to Brittany in 1876 revealed to him the efficiency, compared to genre scenes, of realistic themes treated with restraint. Searching for his subjects in the life of ordinary people in the suburbs of Paris' such as "Les Invites attendant la Noce" (Guests waiting at the Wedding) which is in the Louvre, he acquired the favor of naturalist writers.

He participated in the get-togethers at the Cafe Guerbois, where Degas, against the wishes of the other members of the group, forced Raffaelli's acceptance at the impressionist exhibitions of 1890 and 1891. In spite of his admittedly somber palette, which was in absolute contradiction of Impressionist rules and which he would lighten before the end of his life. A one-man show, which he mounted in 1884, established his reputation once and for all. After executing a few portraits, notably those of "Edmond de Goncourt"" and "Clemenceau", he resumed to genre painting and made a serious effort mainly, reproducing scenes of middle-class life. More careful with his drawing than color, Raffaelli made a preliminary drawing in black and white of most of his canvases.