Ragpicker

Jean-François Raffaëlli French

Not on view

Raffaëlli annotated impressions of this print with his reflections on the ragpicker, a subject for which, he admits, he always had "a weakness." The artist found "in these poor devils an idea of fierce independence" as well as "our abandonment." In this composition, he gives no indication of the tools of the trade—namely the large baskets in which these workers collected discarded fabrics throughout the city—rather, he focuses attention on the sitter's weathered face and guarded gaze. An impression of this print may have been among the early etchings and drypoints Raffaëlli exhibited in the fifth Impressionist exhibition in 1880.

Ragpicker, Jean-François Raffaëlli (French, Paris 1850–1924 Paris), Etching and drypoint with surface tone selectively wiped

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Ragpicker, Jean-François Raffaëlli (French, Paris 1850–1924 Paris), Etching and drypoint with surface tone selectively wiped
Ragpicker, Jean-François Raffaëlli (French, Paris 1850–1924 Paris), Etching and drypoint with surface tone selectively wiped

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.