Pamono Jean Mesturini after Maurice Utrillo, Paris, Montmartre in the Snow, Cabaret au Lapin Agile, 1970, Oil on Board> Impressionist|Painting

Paris, Montmartre in the snow, the Cabaret au Lapin Agile favourite of Picasso, Modigliani and Utrillo, late mid century French oil on board by Jean Mesturini. The painting is signed and dated bottom right.

Maurice Utrillo painted similar scenes of the Lapin Agile in the early part of the 20th century.

This charming painting vividly captures a serene winter scene in the Montmartre district of Paris. The focal point is a charming street lined with classic European buildings and the iconic Cabaret au lapin Agile, their facades adorned with green shutters and covered in a light dusting of snow. The street, slightly angled, guides the viewer’s eye towards the background, where more snow-covered structures and bare trees evoke a crisp, chilly atmosphere. Figures, wrapped in winter attire, walk along the path, adding life and movement to the tranquil scene. The sky above is depicted in muted tones, complementing the cool palette and enhancing the overall wintry mood. The rough brushstrokes and textured surfaces bring an impressionistic quality, creating a lively interplay of light and shadow that captures the essence of a peaceful, snowy day in an historic locale.

The Cabaret au lapin Agile venue existed circa 1860 under different names. In 1875, the artist Andre Gill painted the sign that was to suggest its permanent name. It was a picture of a rabbit jumping out of a saucepan, and residents began calling their neighbourhood night-club Le Lapin à Gill, meaning “Gill’s rabbit”. Over time, the name had evolved into “Cabaret Au Lapin Agile”, or the Nimble Rabbit Cabaret. The original painting on canvas was stolen in 1893; a reproduction on timber was painted to take its place.

The Lapin Agile was bought in the early twentieth century by the cabaret singer, comedian, and nightclub owner Aristide Bruant to save it from demolition. The Lapin Agile became a favourite spot for struggling artists and writers, including Picasso, Modigliani, Apollinaire, Roman Greco, and Maurice Utrillo.

The Lapin Agile is located in the centre of the Montmartre district in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, behind and slightly northwest of Sacre Coeur Basilica. Since this was the heart of artistic Paris at the turn of the twentieth century, there was much discussion at the cabaret about “the meaning of art”.

The Lapin Agile was also popular with Montmartre residents including pimps, eccentrics, poorer people, local anarchists, as well as with students from the Latin Quarter and a sprinkling of upper-class bourgeoisie.