Vincent van Gogh - In the Cafe, Agostina Segatori in Le Tambourin [1887]

Vincent van Gogh - In the Cafe, Agostina Segatori in Le Tambourin [1887], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

A strikingly-dressed woman is shown seated at a small table, smoking a cigarette and staring into space. The tambourine-shaped tables and bar-stools tell us that she is in the Café du Tambourin on the Boulevard de Clichy. The woman depicted is probably Agostina Segatori, the owner of this café frequented by Van Gogh and his friends. The artist paid for his meals with flower still lifes, which were then hung on the walls. It was here that Van Gogh’s paintings were seen by the public for the first time.

Vincent may have had an affair with La Segatori, an Italian by birth, although this is by no means certain. Some of the letters seem to indicate that they were more than just friends.

[Oil on canvas, 55.5 x 46.5 cm]