Gen Paul, Paris, Montmartre, Landscape, Cabaret, Le Lapin Agile At Night, Engraving

Gen Paul, also known as Eugène Paul, under the pseudonym Paul Trelade, *Le Lapin Agile*, circa 1920.

A beautiful color etching and aquatint depicting *Le Lapin Agile* in Montmartre, seen at dusk. The famous cabaret on Rue des Saules is depicted in a quiet, wintry atmosphere, lining a cobblestone street that curves downward toward the foreground.

The composition is built around large, dark masses, enlivened by the blue-gray of the sky, the bold silhouettes of bare trees, and two glowing windows. These two touches of warm color draw the eye and lend the scene a remarkable nocturnal intensity. The building is not depicted as a bustling place, but as a mysterious presence at the heart of old Montmartre.

The aquatint technique allows for the creation of deep, flat areas of blue-black and gray, combined with the precise lines of the etching in the branches, cobblestones, facades, and walls. The treatment of light already foreshadows the Expressionist sensibility that Gen Paul would later develop in his paintings.

The work belongs to the artist’s early period, when he was still signing his work as Paul Trelade. This pseudonym is associated with his first Montmartre prints, created under the influence of Eugène Delâtre. Gen Paul, born Eugène Paul in Montmartre in 1895, remains one of the major figures of 20th-century Montmartre painting. His work is characterized by lively lines, a keen sense of movement, and a highly personal vision of Paris.

Handwritten title in pencil in the upper left: Le Lapin Agile.

Inscription in the lower left: Paris.

Signature in pencil in the lower right: Paul Trelade.

Artist: Gen Paul, also known as Eugène Paul, signed Paul Trelade.

Subject: Le Lapin Agile in Montmartre.

Technique: color etching and aquatint on paper.

Date: circa 1920.

Sheet dimensions: 32.5 × 25 cm.

Print dimensions: 21.7 × 15.4 cm.

Condition: good overall condition.