Dethomas, a pupil of the École des Arts Décoratifs, began his career as the stage director for the Paris opera. He frequently exhibited throughout his life and was well respected as both an artist and a theatrical designer. Dethomas chose his subjects from the working class and the bohemian society of Montmartre, as seen in this large, boldly executed pastel drawing of a worker. Though his work reveals a strong debt to his close friend Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Dethomas never achieved the reputation of his better-known companion.