Monsieur Boileau at the Café
1893
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1893
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows a man sitting alone at a small café table, drink in hand. The room glows with bright, sharp colors—like neon before neon existed. You can almost smell the smoke and cheap wine in the air. Toulouse-Lautrec painted this man in 1893. Monsieur Boileau was a famous gossip writer who spent his nights drowning rumors in cheap liquor. The paint looks thin and rough, like it dried too fast. That texture makes the scene feel raw and real. Want a closer look? Visit the Cleveland Museum of Art.
