The Painter in His Studio

Since very little is known about this artist, one must study the painting for clues to his style. From the canvas on which he appears to be working, one can surmise that he depicted realistic themes in a style similar to Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas. The clothes he wears link him to the fin de siècle, the last two decades of the nineteenth century when many artists considered themselves stylish sophisticates and always appeared in public as the well-dress bourgeoisie they were. The paintings behind him are similar in style to either Lautrec's or Jules Chéret's and may have been included in this scene as a way of paying homage to these artists.