Café du Tambourin

Vincent van Gogh, Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Café du Tambourin, 1887-1888, Van Gogh Museum

Café du Tambourin was a restaurant in Paris, France. Owned by Agostina Segatori, it was first located at 27 rue de Richelieu, and then in March 1885 reopened at 62 Boulevard de Clichy. Jules Chéret made a poster for the Cabaret at the reopening.^[1] The Café had an original decor in which Segatori hung works given to her by Edward Dantan.

Vincent van Gogh also decorated the café through a commercial agreement with Segatori. It was said that Van Gogh ate free in exchange for paintings of still lifes. The cafe was frequented by the friends of Dantan and Van Gogh. In 1887, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec created his portrait of Van Gogh at the Café du Tambourin. The café was also frequented by writers and art critics such as the author Sophie de Juvigny.^[2] The Café Tambourin was the location of Van Gogh's first exhibition in Paris, still lifes he exchanged with the owner for free meals. In March 1887 Segatori and Van Gogh presented a collection of Japanese prints acquired by the artist. In July 1887, Van Gogh exhibited his works and those of his friends, Paul Gauguin, Louis Anquetin and Émile Bernard. At this exhibition Émile Bernard and Louis Anquetin sold their work for the first time. Later, the Café du Tambourin became bankrupt, and was renamed the Cabaret de la Butte in 1893 and then the Cabaret des Quat'z'Arts at the end of the century.

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