Thomas Couture — French Artist born on December 21, 1815, died on March 30, 1879

Thomas Couture was an influential French history painter and teacher. He taught such later luminaries of the art world as Édouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, John La Farge,Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Karel Javůrek, and J-N Sylvestre... (wikipedia)

Knowing how to paint and to use one's colors rightly has not any connection with originality. This originality consists in properly expressing your own impressions.
There is only one absinthe drinker, and that's the man who painted this idiotic picture.