Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Café du Tambourin
On display at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
In my research on Paris I found something interesting this morning about my favorite artist, VINCENT VAN GOGH and this painting, which I don't remember ever seeing before. This weekend, when in PARIS, I hope to visit the location of the Cafe du Tambourin and also Vincent's residence in Montmartre with his brother Theo when they were both single (1886-1888). Both locations are right around the corner from the Montmartre Cemetery where we are planning to visit DEGAS's resting place.
Extracted from Wikipedia -
"In the painting Agostina, a woman in her forties, can be seen smoking a cigarette while having her second glass of beer, evidenced by two saucers under the mug of beer. In demeanor and style, such as her clothing, make-up and hairstyle, she is a modern woman. She is wearing a fashionable hat. According to the style at the time, her jacket is a different design than her dress. A parasol sits on one of the seats next to her.
Previously an artist's model to Manet, Corot and others, the Naples-born Agostina saved the money she earned working as a model and opened the Italian-themed Café du Tambourin in 1885, which particularly catered to artists.
In 1887 Van Gogh had several meals a week at the café which were paid in paintings to adorn the restaurant's walls. He fell in love with Agostina who was twelve years older and carried on a 6-month affair with her. It didn't end well, but for a time, he brought her paintings of flowers and Japanese print copies as tokens of affection. You can see them on the wall behind her. Soon after, though, Agostina and the establishment fell on hard times. She became ill and the business, in debt and likely involved in illegal prostitution, failed. Although assured by Agostina that Van Gogh could claim his paintings, according to Émile Bernard's recollection, debtors sold his paintings "as waste canvas" in batches of 10, ranging in price from 50 centimes ($1.10 today) to one franc ($2.19 today) per bundle. Due to the bankruptcy of the cafe Van Gogh lost not only the paintings, mostly still life works of flowers, but also the frames."
JOAN
