Henri BOUTET

Aptly nicknamed “Le Petit Maitre au Corset” (The Little Master with the Corsets), Henri Boutet (1851-1919) should certainly not be regarded solely as a printmaker depicting women of the Belle Epoque in various stages of undress.  He is a prolific illustrator, contributing to numerous magazines.  He is also able to escape his fondness for drypoint depictions of women in undergarments.  He worked also in lithography, mostly later in life, and made a few extremely attractive color etchings.  His output was very like formidable, though the lack of proper cataloguing of his work, and the scarcity of his original prints today, make it hard to judge.