Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin stands as a fascinating and somewhat enigmatic figure in the bustling art world of 19th-century France. A painter, a prolific printmaker, a writer, and a distinctive personality, he navigated the currents of Realism and Impressionism, leaving behind a body of work that captures the spirit of his age and the likenesses of its most prominent figures. Though perhaps not as universally recognized today as some of his illustrious contemporaries, Desboutin was an integral part of the Parisian avant-garde, a cherished friend to many, and an artist whose dedication to his craft, particularly the art of drypoint, earned him considerable respect.
Noble Beginnings and Artistic Awakenings
Born on August 26, 1823, in Cérilly, Allier, France, Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin hailed from an aristocratic background. His father, Barthélémy Desboutin, was a bodyguard for King Louis XV, and his mother, Baroness Anne-Sophie de Rochefort-Dalie Farges, also belonged to the nobility. This privileged upbringing initially set him on a path towards a conventional career. He pursued legal studies, a common trajectory for young men of his social standing. However, the allure of the arts proved too strong to resist.
Desboutin's formal artistic training began under the sculptor Louis-Jules Etex, a notable figure who had himself been a student of Ingres. This early exposure to sculpture likely honed Desboutin's understanding of form and volume, an asset that would later inform his two-dimensional work. He subsequently entered the prestigious studio of Thomas Couture, a highly influential academic painter whose atelier attracted a generation of aspiring artists. Couture's emphasis on solid draftsmanship and a somewhat romanticized realism provided a strong foundation, though many of his students, including Desboutin and the slightly younger Édouard Manet, would eventually diverge from his more traditional approach. Despite this formal training, Desboutin was, in many ways, a restless spirit, always seeking a more personal and direct mode of expression.
The Italian Interlude and Literary Pursuits
Like many artists of his era, Desboutin was drawn to Italy, the cradle of Renaissance art and a land steeped in classical history. He spent a significant period there, nearly eighteen years, primarily residing in Florence at the Villa dell'Ombrellino. This extended Italian sojourn was not solely dedicated to visual arts; Desboutin also immersed himself in literary pursuits. He was a capable writer, penning poetry and even plays, including a translation of Byron's "Don Juan" and a dramatic work titled "Maurice de Saxe."
This literary inclination reveals another facet of his creative personality, suggesting a mind engaged with narrative, character, and the expressive power of language. While his visual art would ultimately become his primary legacy, these years in Italy, surrounded by artistic masterpieces and engaged in his own literary creations, undoubtedly enriched his cultural understanding and perhaps contributed to the psychological depth he would later bring to his portraiture. However, this period of relative comfort and artistic exploration was not to last indefinitely.
Parisian Return and Financial Reversals
Around 1872-1873, Desboutin's life took a dramatic turn. Unwise financial speculations led to the loss of his fortune, forcing him to sell the Villa dell'Ombrellino and return to Paris. This financial ruin, while personally devastating, paradoxically thrust him more fully into the heart of the Parisian art scene. Stripped of his inherited wealth, he had to rely on his artistic talents for his livelihood. It was during this period that his distinctive appearance and bohemian lifestyle became more pronounced.
He became a recognizable figure in Montmartre, often seen with his long, flowing hair, a somewhat untamed beard, a wide-brimmed hat, and often accompanied by his faithful dogs. This striking persona, coupled with his aristocratic background and artistic talents, made him a unique and intriguing character in the cafes and studios frequented by the avant-garde. He was a regular at the Café Guerbois and later the Café de la Nouvelle Athènes, legendary meeting places for artists and writers who were challenging the established artistic conventions of the Salon.
The Master of Drypoint
It was in Paris, following his financial setbacks, that Desboutin truly dedicated himself to printmaking, particularly the technique of drypoint. Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking method where an image is incised into a plate (usually copper) with a hard-pointed "needle" of sharp metal or diamond point. Unlike engraving, which uses a burin to cut away slivers of metal, drypoint scratches the surface, leaving a rough burr on either side of the line. This burr holds additional ink, resulting in a characteristic soft, velvety, and somewhat fuzzy line in the printed impression.
Desboutin was drawn to the immediacy and spontaneity of drypoint. It allowed for a directness of expression akin to drawing, without the more laborious processes involved in etching, which requires acid baths. He often worked directly from life, capturing his subjects with a remarkable freshness and vitality. His drypoints were typically printed in small editions, often given to friends and acquaintances, which contributes to their rarity today. He would frequently inscribe his prints with phrases like "d'après nature" (from nature) or "directement d'après nature," emphasizing this commitment to direct observation. This technique perfectly suited his talent for portraiture, allowing him to capture fleeting expressions and the essential character of his sitters with swift, confident lines. His mastery of this medium was widely acknowledged, and he is considered one ofthe 19th century's most significant practitioners of original drypoint.
A Nexus in the Impressionist Circle
Desboutin's presence in Parisian artistic circles brought him into close contact with the leading figures of the Impressionist movement. While he never formally identified as an Impressionist and his style retained strong Realist underpinnings, he was a sympathetic contemporary and a close friend to many within the group. His relationships with Edgar Degas and Édouard Manet were particularly significant.
He and Degas shared a deep mutual respect and friendship. Degas, known for his sharp wit and discerning eye, clearly valued Desboutin. Degas famously depicted Desboutin alongside the actress Ellen Andrée in his iconic 1876 painting L'Absinthe (In a Café). In this work, Desboutin, with his characteristic beard and somewhat melancholic air, embodies the quintessential bohemian artist. Desboutin, in turn, created several striking drypoint portraits of Degas, including the well-known Edgar Degas, wearing a hat, which captures the intensity of his friend's gaze.
Desboutin also frequented the company of Édouard Manet, another pivotal figure bridging Realism and Impressionism. Both had studied with Couture, and both sought a modern art that engaged with contemporary life. The intellectual ferment of the Café Guerbois and Café de la Nouvelle Athènes, where artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Gustave Caillebotte gathered, provided a fertile ground for the exchange of ideas. Desboutin was an active participant in these discussions, a respected elder statesman of sorts among the younger radicals.
His involvement with the Impressionists extended to exhibiting with them. He participated in the Second Impressionist Exhibition in 1876, held at the Durand-Ruel gallery, where he showed a selection of paintings and drypoints. He also contributed a significant number of works, around seventeen, to the Third Impressionist Exhibition in 1877. This participation underscores his alignment with the group's desire for independent exhibition venues outside the rigid confines of the official Salon, even if his artistic aims didn't always perfectly mirror theirs.
Portraits: Capturing the Essence of an Era
Portraiture was central to Desboutin's artistic output, both in painting and drypoint. He possessed a remarkable ability to capture not just a physical likeness but also the personality and inner life of his sitters. His subjects were often his friends and acquaintances from the artistic and literary worlds, resulting in a veritable gallery of the era's luminaries.
Beyond his portraits of Degas, he created likenesses of other prominent figures. He painted and etched Émile Zola, the great Naturalist writer and champion of the Impressionists. He captured the distinctive features of the chansonnier Aristide Bruant, a figure later immortalized by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His portrait of the journalist Henri Rochefort is another notable example, conveying the sitter's sharp intellect. He also portrayed fellow artists like Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, a leading Symbolist painter, and even the younger Claude Monet.
His portraits are characterized by their unpretentious honesty. He avoided flattery, preferring a direct and often introspective portrayal. In his drypoints, the expressive quality of his line, combined with subtle tonal variations achieved through the burr, lent a particular intimacy to these works. His painted portraits, while sometimes more formal, also exhibit a keen psychological insight. His Self-Portrait in White Jacket (1888) is a compelling example, showing the artist with a direct, appraising gaze, a testament to his self-awareness and artistic confidence.
Other notable portraits include Doctor Collin, Médecin des Bergères-Folly, suggesting his connection to the Parisian entertainment world, and more personal works like Ma Fille et Mon Petit Fils ou Mme Bracken et Son Fils (My Daughter and My Grandson or Mrs. Bracken and Her Son) and Bustes de Marie Desboutin, Daughter of the Artist, Seated Outside. These demonstrate his ability to convey tenderness and familial affection. Le Fils de Louis-Hervé Halade, Assis sur une Chaise (The Son of Louis-Hervé Halade, Seated on a Chair) is another example of his skill in capturing the naturalism of his subjects.
Artistic Style: Realism with Impressionist Sensibilities
Desboutin's artistic style is perhaps best described as a form of Realism infused with the sensibilities of his Impressionist contemporaries. He shared the Realists' commitment to depicting the world and its people truthfully, without idealization. This is evident in the unvarnished honesty of his portraits and his focus on contemporary subjects. His early training with Couture, despite his later divergence, would have instilled a respect for solid draftsmanship, which remained a hallmark of his work.
However, his association with the Impressionists and his own artistic inclinations led him to embrace certain aspects of their approach. His drypoints, in particular, with their spontaneity and emphasis on capturing a fleeting moment or expression, resonate with the Impressionist desire for immediacy. While he may not have adopted the broken brushwork or vibrant palette of painters like Monet or Renoir in their landscape paintings, his work often displays a concern for the effects of light and atmosphere, particularly in his painted portraits.
He was less concerned with the theoretical underpinnings of Impressionism, such as the scientific study of color and light, and more interested in the human element. His use of chiaroscuro, the dramatic interplay of light and shadow, often served to model form and highlight the psychological intensity of his subjects, a technique with roots in Old Masters like Rembrandt, whose etchings Desboutin would have known and admired. This focus on character and psychological depth aligns him with artists like Degas and Manet, who, while central to Impressionism, always maintained a strong focus on the human figure and composition. He was not a plein-air landscape painter in the mold of Pissarro or Sisley, but rather a chronicler of the human face and spirit within the urban, bohemian milieu of Paris.
Later Years, Recognition, and Legacy
Despite the earlier financial ruin, Desboutin continued to work prolifically throughout his life. He eventually left the hustle and bustle of Paris and settled in Nice, on the French Riviera, in 1888. The milder climate and perhaps a desire for a quieter existence drew him south. However, he did not abandon his artistic pursuits. He continued to paint and create prints, and his reputation remained solid.
A significant mark of official recognition came late in his career. In 1900, at the Exposition Universelle (Universal Exposition) in Paris, a major international showcase of arts and industry, Marcellin Desboutin was awarded a gold medal for his artistic contributions. This honor acknowledged his long and distinguished career and his mastery, particularly in the realm of printmaking. He also received the Legion of Honour in 1895.
Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin passed away in Nice on February 18, 1902, at the age of 78. He left behind a substantial body of work, including over 300 drypoints and numerous paintings. His legacy is multifaceted. As a printmaker, he was a key figure in the revival of original etching and drypoint in the 19th century, alongside artists like Félix Bracquemond, Charles Meryon, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. He demonstrated the expressive potential of drypoint as a direct and personal artistic medium.
As a portraitist, he provided an invaluable visual record of the artistic and literary figures of his time. His portraits are not mere documents but insightful character studies that convey the intelligence, creativity, and sometimes the weariness of his sitters. Works like Man with a Sword (1878) showcase his ability to imbue his figures with a sense of history and gravitas, even within a contemporary context.
Furthermore, Desboutin's life itself, with its aristocratic origins, bohemian turn, and unwavering dedication to art, embodies the spirit of many 19th-century artists who broke from convention to pursue their individual visions. He was a bridge between different artistic worlds, comfortable in the studios of academic painters and the avant-garde cafes, a friend to traditionalists like Puvis de Chavannes and radicals like Degas. His influence might be seen less in a direct school of followers and more in his contribution to the overall artistic climate of his time, his championing of printmaking as a fine art, and the enduring humanism of his portraits. He remains a testament to a life lived for art, a distinctive voice etched into the rich tapestry of 19th-century French culture.
