Manuel Robbe (1872-1936) went through a traditional education of quality, both in his general studies and as a fine artist.  By the time he becomes an active member of the Parisian art scene, he is a talented and well-rounded painter.  He quickly finds his stride, first as a painter, then as a lithograph poster designer, but then, around 1895 as a color etcher.  By then the technique was well established in Parisian printmaker milieus.  Robbe takes its painterly qualities to a whole new level.  He learned etching and the use of aquatint from the unavoidable Eugène Delâtre and became a master of coloring à la poupée.  Robbe made hundreds of prints, both under his own name, and later in life under the pseudonym of Alphonse Lafitte.  His prints before World War I are mostly depicting elegantly dressed women, modern life, cityscapes and landscapes.  Signing as Lafitte, he mostly depicted seascapes in Brittany, though not exclusively.  His works have declined in value tremendously.