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At the Lapin Agile

1905
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 823
In this celebrated work, now an icon of life in bohemian Paris at the turn of the last century, Picasso depicts himself dressed as a Harlequin. He is accompanied by his recent lover Germaine Pichot. Previously, she had been the fatal obsession of Picasso's great friend Casagemas, who committed suicide in 1901. The painting was commissioned by Frédé Gérard—seen playing guitar in the background—for his Montmartre cabaret, Le Lapin Agile, where it was the only work by Picasso on permanent view in Paris from 1905 until 1912, when it was sold to a German collector.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: At the Lapin Agile
  • Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)
  • Date: 1905
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 39 in. × 39 1/2 in. (99.1 × 100.3 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection,
    Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1992,
    Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002
  • Object Number: 1992.391
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2026 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

Audio

Cover Image for 46. Music: At the Lapin Agile

46. Music: At the Lapin Agile

Jacques Tessereach, Étude

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GARY TINTEROW: The owner of the bistro that Picasso shows here – Fredé – sits in theback corner playing the guitar. Most bistros at this time would have featured this kind of musical entertainment, with guitar players performing improvisations as well as ballads and simple songs. For example, a visitor to the Lapin Agile might have heard a piece like this Étude you’re hearing now by Jacques Tessereach. Tessereach was an eminent guitarist, composer and teacher. His principle residence was in the Montparnasse section of Paris, near the Lapin Agile. Picasso, who appears here dressed as Harlequin, one of his favorite alter egos, might have run in to Tessereach on one of his strolls through Paris. The mood of this music seems consonant with this painting.

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