Existing comment:
Henri de Toulouse Lautrec
At The Bar, ca 1886
Cafes and other drinking establishments were not only gathering places for French artists but also among their favorite subjects. The eclectic mix of artists, writers, workers, and performers who gathered in Paris's cafes to discuss artistic and political ideas (as well as to drink and be noticed) appealed directly to Lautrec, who found such spectacles typical of modern life. Here, the left-hand figure is likely the artist himself. Lautrec famously used his friends and acquaintances from all walks of life as his subjects -- it is possible that the right-hand figures represent the cabaret dancer called Valentin and Lautrec's cousin and friend, Gabriel Tapie de Celetran. |