Moulin de la Galette by Edouard Léon Cortès
Oil on canvas
13 x 18 inches
The Moulin Rouge is a popular and iconic Paris cabaret associated with windmills. But it’s not even a real windmill. The founders of the nightclub built a facsimile windmill on top of the building to emulate its famous predecessor, the Moulin de la Galette.
The Debray family initially operated a pair of windmills on the hill of Montmartre, where they milled flour and produced a form of brown bread that locals called a galette. The mills became popular for this bread, which they would serve alongside fresh milk. In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, the family decided to set up a guinguette, a sort of tavern where they would serve local wine instead of milk. The establishment became popular with Parisians because the mills’ location outside the old city walls meant they were exempt from certain taxes on wine, allowing people to drink without spending too much. The addition of a dance floor in 1833 was the finishing touch that transformed a pair of windmills into the Moulin de la Galette, a place that not only served as a popular café and cabaret but also became a vibrant artistic hub. Since the nineteenth century, dozens of prominent artists have used the Moulin de la Galette as the central subject in their Paris cityscapes. They include Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Toulouse-Lautrec. And we happen to have two examples of our very own.
Moulin de la Galette by Élisée Maclet
Oil on canvas
18.125 x 21.625 inches
The Moulin de la Galette as shown by Edouard Cortès seems slightly bleak, but gives off a certain charm. The Paris streets are dusted with snow while pedestrians trudge along, protecting themselves with umbrellas. However, a light emanates from the club’s entrance. There’s another light in the form of a streetlamp, but the one coming from the doorway is warm and inviting. It’s as if it’s beckoning people to come out of the cold and enjoy themselves with some wine and good company. The same street as painted by Elisée Maclet, however, is entirely different. Working in a post-impressionist style similar to Maurice Utrillo, Maclet shows the Rue Lepic from the opposite direction, looking up the hill of Montmartre. The artist made sure to include both the windmills as well as the dome of Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the background, peeking out over the rooftops of houses. But regardless, the ubiquity of the Moulin de la Galette in Paris cityscapes across decades only serves to highlight its significance for the city and its artists.