Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Faure
by DESBOUTIN, Marcellin, Oil on canvas, 41 x 33 cm
The works of Desboutin, an acquaintance of Degas, who never experienced difficulty exhibiting the Salon, cannot be described as Impressionist. His small portrait of the baritone Jean-Baptiste Faure - who was a collector of Manet, Degas, Monet and Sisley - could just as easily have been hung in the Salon, even if it has the flavour of a study. Desboutin’s picture portrays Faure in an appropriately affected pose in character for a Meyerbeer opera.