Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin

1823 Cérilly – 1902 Nice

The painter and etcher, Marcellin Desboutin, came from a wealthy background and initially dabbled in art. He led the life of a grand seigneur, collected works of the Old Masters and from the 1860s devoted himself increasingly to literature. Desboutin never developed a distinctive style of his own. His true originality lies in his printmaking. He is best known for his impressive portraits of famous fellow artists such as Courbet, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Puvis de Chavannes and others, with whom he was very good friends.