Alfred Robaut
1830–1909 · French painter and cataloguer
Alfred Robaut (1830-1909) was a French painter of the second half of the nineteenth century. He is remembered in art history chiefly for his work as a cataloguer of Édouard Manet's output, whose inventory he published in 1902. He probably trained and worked within the Parisian art world of his time, although documentation about his own painting is scarce.
His significance lies more in documentary work than in a widely known body of paintings. By compiling and ordering Manet's pieces, Robaut provided historians and collectors with a reference that is still consulted when studying the artist. His career as a painter has received far less attention, and the works attributed to him are little known.
Robaut's legacy remains tied to Manet's. He acted as a chronicler of the older painter's production rather than as a follower of his style. His catalogue served as a basis for later studies and remains a starting point for research into the work of the Impressionist-era painter.