.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Although considered a contemporary of the Impressionists, Jean-François Raffaelli's artistic tendencies and interests were so wide-ranging that he quickly set himself apart from the mainstream Impressionist circles. His explorations in the area of printmaking, illustration, draughtsmanship and painting all inform a very individual style of painting that defies catagorization.
Raffaelli is best known for his sympathetic portrayal of the common workers, beggars and rag pickers of the Parisian suburbs (his chiffonier appears as one of his more well known characters). It is particularly interesting to observe how the his characters are most often intentionally placed off-center from the composition. Raffaelli made a point not to show his figures directly at work, but instead standing idle near the symbols of their labor. In the present work, the jovial shoe shiner stands next to row of newly-cleaned shoes, proud to show the fruits of his labor.
This work has been authenticated by Galerie Brame-Lorenceau.
Raffaelli is best known for his sympathetic portrayal of the common workers, beggars and rag pickers of the Parisian suburbs (his chiffonier appears as one of his more well known characters). It is particularly interesting to observe how the his characters are most often intentionally placed off-center from the composition. Raffaelli made a point not to show his figures directly at work, but instead standing idle near the symbols of their labor. In the present work, the jovial shoe shiner stands next to row of newly-cleaned shoes, proud to show the fruits of his labor.
This work has been authenticated by Galerie Brame-Lorenceau.