46 by 38 cm.
Chronicles of the amusements enjoyed by the French public at the turn of the century remain among the most distinguished compositions of Abel-Truchet’s career.
Catalogue note
This painting is probably a preparatory study, highly detailed, with several variants, for a larger painting (89 x 89cm) sold at Sotheby's, New York, on November 22nd 2016. At the end of the 19th Century, Paris witnessed a proliferation of concert halls, cabarets, cinemas, circuses and cafes, many of which were chronicled by artistes such as Béraud, Degas, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat. Perhaps the most exhilirating entertainment for both the public and artists, however, was that of the fête foraine, a large fair bustling with attractions, games and saltimbanques, or tight-rope walkers, acrobats, etc