Le Lapin Agile à Montmartre

The period around 1910 to 1912 in which Utrillo painted the present work, was a crucial juncture in his early career. Although his application to the École des Beaux Arts had been rejected in 1909, Utrillo gained initial recognition from both critics and collectors. The dealer Louis Libaude signed a contract with him and promised his mother, the painter Suzanne Valadon, that he would look after her son. Soon after, three of Utrillo's landscapes were shown at the Salon d'Automne.

Around 1909 the colour palette of Utrillo changed, and it was during this time that he realized a personal and unmistakable style in his Manière blanche, the 'White Period', so named for the bleached and ashen palette he employed in his cityscapes. The painter tried to capture the specific colour scheme of the white walls under the Parisian sun, sometimes even mixing plaster with his white oil colours to mimic the weathered facades of buildings.

Le Lapin Agile, a depiction of the renowned Parisian cabaret, is an exceptional example from the Manière blanche, distinguished by its solid and meticulous rendering of perspective and heavily impastoed buildings. Serving as the favoured meeting place for the artistic bohemia, including Utrillo himself, the Lapin Agile is now considered one of the most desired subjects from his oeuvre, not to mention those from the coveted Manière blanche. This wonderfully rare oil depicting the famous Parisian spot, captures the specific ‘Utrillo’ vision of Parisian streets – a sentimental, empty landscape; an ideal scene for a flâneur.