Parisian cabarets have been—and still are—a source of inspiration for artists. Throughout the ages, many have immortalized these nightlife hotspots in their works. Here is a selection of some of the most beautiful images of cabarets and music halls created by famous painters and photographers.
Famous Cabaret Images by Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is one of the most famous artists to have depicted 19th-century Parisian nightlife. In 1884, he took up residence in the bohemian district of Montmartre. There, the painter discovered the atmosphere of the cabarets and concert cafés, which he began to frequent regularly. Naturally, this colorful world became the subject of many of his paintings. Among his most iconic works, some feature famous French Cancan dancers such as La Goulue and Jane Avril. Toulouse-Lautrec also painted other cabaret stars of the time, such as Loïe Fuller, Valentin le Désossé and Yvette Guilbert, and produced numerous posters advertising shows.
Picasso and his paintings of Parisian cabarets, before Cubism and fame
A prolific artist best known as one of the founders of Cubism, Pablo Picasso also produced more classical and figurative works. Barely 19 years old, he arrived in Paris for the first time in 1900. At that time, the young painter was not yet making a living from his art and hoped to make a name for himself there. Based in Montmartre, he produced numerous paintings inspired by the nightlife spots he frequented, including the Lapin Agile cabaret and the Moulin de la Galette.
In the intimacy of Parisian nights with the photos of Brassaï
“I became a photographer to capture the Parisian nightlife,” declared Brassaï. In 1924, he left Hungary to move to the French capital, to Montparnasse, a neighborhood where nightlife was at its peak during the interwar period. There, he became friends with several artists and writers of his time, such as Jacques Prévert, Henri Michaux, Pablo Picasso, and Henry Miller. With them, he ventured into cabarets, balls, and other dance halls, armed with his camera. From these nocturnal outings, Brassaï produced numerous photographs that capture the fervor and exuberance of Parisian nightlife at the height of the Roaring Twenties. Some of these images, including photos taken in the most famous cabarets of the time, were included in his now-classic book, “Paris by Night,” first published in 1933.
Paris by night at the cabaret, by Frank Horvat
Alternately a fashion photographer and writer-reporter, Frank Horvat harbors a fascination for the world of nightlife. Settled in Paris in the mid-1950s, he roamed the strip clubs, nightclubs, music halls, and other places of prostitution in the capital to capture the atmosphere through his lens. During this period, at the request of an American magazine, he produced a beautiful series of photographs at the cabaret Le Sphinx. These images show both the intimacy of the backstage and the show, focusing on the attitudes and looks of those who attended.
