Jean-François Raffaëlli (1850-1924) came of age in the era of the impressionists, of which he is regarded to be a member.  Many of them, Cassatte, Pissarro, Dagas were personal friends; though he did have a falling out with the latter.  A consummate painter, Raffaëlli also took up etching early in his career, and by the early 1890s, when color printmaking came into vogue, he truly found his voice.  It seems his etchings, which mostly depict Paris and its environs, generally in picturesque fashion, were a way to supplement his income and popularize his brand.  His oil paintings were highly regarded and expensive.  His color etchings, which are often large and painterly, were published generally in editions of 100 or 200, and were affordable to a wider public.




View Biography