Artists at the Café: From the Impressionists, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec to Picasso

In late 19th century Paris, artists such as Manet and those who would later be known as Impressionists gathered in cafes to hold debates. While modern cafes are places to relax, the cafes, cabarets, and dance halls of the time were not just places to enjoy food, drink, and entertainment, but also places where new art was born. This marked a departure from salons (official exhibitions) and the beginning of a new era in which art could blend into the crowd. In 1897, Catalan painter Casas opened Quatre Gats (Four Cats) in Barcelona, ​​modeled after the famous Chat Noir (Black Cat) in Montmartre. The young Picasso also frequented the cafe. Heavily influenced by the pleasures and solitude depicted in the cafés of Toulouse-Lautrec and Casas, Picasso embarked on his "Blue Period." This exhibition will explore the breadth of art born in cafes through approximately 130 pieces, including masterpieces by Manet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Picasso, as well as Barcelona's pride and joy, Madeleine by Casas, which will be shown in Japan for the first time.