The Origin of Bistros or Cafés
The origin of the word bistro is uncertain. Some sources suggest it could derive from regional words indicating wine growers, like bistraud or bistroquet. There’s also a legend: between 1814 and 1818 Paris was occupied by Russian soldiers, who were not allowed to drink alcohol. They used to do it anyway, but asked the waiters to serve them quickly, in Russian – bistro!
The Parisian bistros or cafés were shelters for artists since their opening. Here, poets, painters, and lovers of art in general used to spend their days creating their masterpieces and discussing ideas, theories, and experiences. Painters sometimes even used the bistro and its hosts as the main subjects of their creations.
A Look Outside the Café
From Masters…
A large group of painters was fascinated by the global atmosphere of the Parisian bistros, as seen from the street.
One of them was Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), who spent some years in Paris. In 1886 he represented a famous café in Montmartre, without focusing on people (who in fact are roughly sketched, not recognizable) but rather on tables, benches, and exclusive areas which almost recall chapels. The brushstrokes and the everyday subject are surely Vincent’s!
And what about a pure Impressionist? Edgar Degas (1834–1917) could not do without representing the most iconic place of his time. He painted a group of women at the outside tables of a bistro, all elegantly dressed and trying to relax. The young lady in the center captures the observer’s attention. She is dressed in light blue and white, emerging from the background, and she is in a dreamy air of reverie. Her thumb is on her mouth. What or whom is she thinking of or looking at? A poet, a painter, a lover?
…through an Italian…
An Italian artist loved Paris so much that he moved to the Ville Lumière and then represented it in his paintings. In 1871, Giovanni Boldini (1842–1931) took residence when the city was about to bloom again after years of war, going towards modernity, social life, theaters, restaurants, and of course cafés. In the heart of cutting-edge techniques, movements, and ideas, Boldini fell in love with the café itself.
The Conversation at the Café is one of his most representative pieces, showing both his contemporary society and his own life. He had relationships with two women, Berthe Morisot and countess Gabrielle de Rasty. The first was a painter and Manet’s model. In this painting, Boldini gathers both worlds in a café, putting Morisot on the left and Rasty on the right. Their attitudes reflect their personalities: Morisot feels uncomfortable, while Rasty shows her usual appeal, fascinating the observer.
…to a Russian Painter
Konstantin Alexeyevitch Korovin (1861–1939) was a Russian painter, born in Moscow from an art-loving family. At a young age he attended the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. In 1885, he traveled to Paris for the first time and he was positively shocked by the city – he wrote that there he had found everything he had been looking for. He kept on visiting other countries, but Paris always remained one of his favorite subjects. Korovin particularly loved the Parisian bistros, of which he painted many versions and, differently from other artists, often perfectly identifiable ones.
Among these, we find the Café des Sports, a famous bistro still in operation in Rue de Ménilmontant. At the corner of two streets, in the evening, some people dine at this beautiful café among the lights of the city and the reflections of the wet street. Another magical piece is the Café de la Paix. This is also still an institution in Paris, at the corner between Place de l’Opéra and Boulevard des Capucines. The painting recreates the nightlife of the wealthy society of Paris in 1900, between lights, cars, and beautiful clothes.
The Paris Café by Night is a little less sophisticated, with less intense lights and fewer people. It was probably on a peripheral artery of the city. It is totally different from the daylight in the Paris Café, where two ladies are surrounded by luxuriant trees and served by a waiter. Korovin said that Paris is the city of elegant fun, but also a place for relaxation and reflection.