Portrait of Vicomte Ludovic Napoléon Lepic 1876

Marcellin Desboutin made this print of Vicomte Ludovic-Napoléon Lepic using drypoint. Note the informal pose and attire, signaling a shift away from the rigid conventions of academic portraiture in late 19th-century France. Desboutin’s print offers a glimpse into the social circles of the Impressionist artists. Lepic was himself an artist and an important figure in the group, one of the first to recognize the talent of Edgar Degas, and he was also close to Édouard Manet. But look closer, and you can see a tension between the Vicomte’s aristocratic status and the bohemian image cultivated by avant-garde artists. In this portrait, Lepic is depicted not in a formal setting but amidst the tools of artistic production: an easel is visible behind him, and on the wall hangs what appears to be another piece of artwork. Prints like this one circulated widely, challenging traditional notions of art and value. Art historians consult exhibition reviews, letters between artists, and sales records to understand this shift. The meaning of this image resides not only in its aesthetic qualities, but in the social and institutional context in which it was made and consumed.