Provenance:
- Sotheby's London, 1995, Lot 176
- Private collection to 2007

Louis Abel-Truchet , also known simply as Abel Truchet, was born in Versailles in 1857, and is well known for his elegant paintings capturing the life of Paris. He worked in the Montmartre quarter and his images of café-concerts, the Place Pigalle, the Folies-Bergère and the Moulin Rouge have become part of popular culture through widespread reproductions. A student of the Julian Academy, his work was exhibited in many notable salons, including the Salons d'Automne; the Salon des Artistes Français; and at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, of which illustrious society he became a member in 1910.

His work included a great deal of satire and humour, leading him to become one of the founding fathers of the Society of Humorists. However, much of his work, including this excellent example, was deemed 'Impressionist'. Certainly the vigorous brushwork of this painting fits this label, miraculously conveying both detail, with the wine glasses and flowers of the ladies' hats being readily discernable, while also capturing the movement and energy of the busy scene.

In his late-fifties, Abel-Truchet volunteered to fight in the First World War and he commanded fighting troops. Whilst also finding opportunity to gather material for his lithographics, he was awarded the Legion d'Honneur and La Croix de Guerre. He died whilst on active service towards the end of the war.