Renoir was one of the first Impressionists who painted his famous Dance at le Moulin de la Galette in 1876 (Collection: Musée d’Orsay, Paris) and showed his painting at the Impressionist exhibition of 1877. Intrigued by the mixed character of this vivacious and cheerful crowd, this place was a great inspiration for many artists.

Entrance was free for all women at Le Moulin, including those with looser morals.

Inside, one could sit and eat its famous cakes, while outside there was an open-air eating and dancing area where the locals came and danced on Sundays, along with a variety of students and artists. The Moulin de la Galette was one of several windmills located on the Butte Montmartre. His French colleagues like Pierre-August Renoir (1841-1919), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) and his fellow Dutchman Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), who he greatly admired, were frequent visitors and translated their impressions in numerous important paintings capturing true Parisian culture. The open-air dancehall and café Moulin de la Galette was a popular spot for artists and writers at the turn of the century. Although Israels paints with enormous energy, this does not affect the perfection of his composition. His joy is apparent in the way he renders the flurry and commotion of Paris, and the spectacular dynamic of his brushwork, his bold and firm brushstrokes are filled with movement. As Isaac Israels wrote to his friend Henry Asselin (1884-1979), he painted for his own pleasure: 'Je peint pour m'amuser'. The present lot is a striking example of a Parisian café scene.

2 sold at Sotheby’s, Amsterdam, 17 April 2000, lot 324). 1 sold at Glerum, Amsterdam, 28 April 1999, lot 110 and fig. He painted at least five large canvases with the same subject matter and numerous smaller paintings and pastels (see: fig. The paintings from this series can been seen as the absolute pinnacle of his oeuvre and the present lot as one of the finest examples of Israels paintings from this Parisian period. Isaac Israels painted his renowned series of Café dansant, Moulin de la Galette in Paris in 1905-1906 when he was at the height of his career.

Isaac Israels by de Bodt