Art Insights — The Absinthe Drinkers by Jean-François Raffaëlli
Raffaëlli was the man of the people. His works usually featured the most common French people — workers, street sellers, and a variety of people walking on the streets of Paris. Occasionally, he turned his attention to social motifs, particularly the consumption of the devilish drink — absinthe.
The Absinthe Drinkers gained recognition and praise from contemporaries after being displayed at the Paris Salon in 1881. Raffaëlli masterfully managed to combine a genre scene with a portrait that had so much meaning for the Parisians at the time. Absinthe caused a lot of trouble for the seekers of having a cheap drink during those days.
Initially, absinthe was used in the French military in their African garrisons for disinfection purposes. It also was used to clean the water and avoid possible infections, including Malaria. Absinthe was not made for drinking due to its high volume of alcohol which could reach more than 70%. But some soldiers took their chance and mixed this colorful liquid with water to take away some of its strength.
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| The Absinthe Drinkers by Jean François Raffaëlli. Oil on canvas, 110 cm x 110 cm. Source: Wikipedia Commons. |
In the mid-19th-century, absinthe began its glorious journey in the Parisian cafes. Its popularity rose quickly among all the classes. However, this soon caused a wave of crimes and controversy. While the wealthy bourgeois could enjoy absinthe cocktails that had less alcohol, the working class people consumed this drink often poorly mixed, close to its absolute strength. Overdosing could lead to hallucinations and uncontrolled behavior. Absinthe became labeled the Green Witch and became synonymous with violence and crimes committed under influence of alcohol. In the early 20th century, absinthe was banned in several countries.
The Absinthe Drinkers depicts the peak period of the consumption of absinthe. As he often did, Raffaëlli took a simple scene and turned it into a telling story of the Parisian realities at the time. Aesthetically, nothing is outstanding about this scenery. Two ordinary men are quietly sitting in a cafe on the cold street. However, the empty and almost lifeless looks in their eyes are telling. Raffaëlli depicted two men, who were lost at the bottom of the social hierarchy and overall — in life. Absinthe became their escape from this grey environment. At least for a while, this devilish drink could turn off the mind and disconnect these men from reality.
While these men are not yet beggars or homeless, their addiction to absinthe can cause serious damage to their lives, destroying any dignity they have. The Absinthe Drinkers presents an example of a life that slowly but surely sinks into alcohol. The interesting aspect about this is that to display absinthe’s destructive strength, Raffaëlli did not have to portray anything outstanding, with no vivid colors or display of actions or bright emotions. Nothing, just two men amid their daily absinthe session. If you would be a local Parisian of the 19th century, you would feel the pain and emptiness of these nameless characters. Raffaëlli caught one of the most painful diseases of that period in this scene.
Inspired by the similar scenery in the works of his friend Edgar Degas and fellow artist Edouard Manet, Raffaëlli managed to keep up with his more famous colleagues and present a memorable painting, capturing this quiet, yet powerful Zeitgeist. He might have been among those bohemian artists who also were slightly or strongly addicted to this drink, but instead, Raffaëlli kept his mind straight and worked on his genre scenes. The fame of The Absinthe Drinkers was solid since its display at Salon because of the praise of the art critics, and its value only grew over time. In the modern-day market, the value of this painting is more than $3 million.
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