B.T. (DATES UNKNOWN) LES BAS FONDS DE PARIS. 76 1/2x54 inches, 194x137 cm. H. Herold, Paris. Condition B+ / A-: restoration along vertical and horizontal folds. Two sheets. As he got older and with the huge popularity he had gained singing on the stages of Montmartre's cabarets, Artistide Bruant changed the focus of his career and began writing novels. These stories, like his repertoire of songs, were inspired by the seedy Parisian underworld, and demimonde. They were mostly published in serialized format in Le Journal and, were also picked up by publishers of sensational novels like Jules Rouff. Here Bruant appears in his trademark black hat, suit and boots. He is holding a lantern that is illuminating a Parisian night-scene in which the cast of characters includes bourgeois men and women getting into their carriages, a street urchin, and at least one character of dubious motive. A strong and vivid image, that certainly would have sparked dramatic curiosity in the eyes of viewers. Rare.
