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painting of a man holding a sign in front of a group of peoplea painting of a man holding a sign in his handa painting of a group of people playing instrumentsan image of a painting of a man riding a horsea painting of a group of people on a walla painting of a group of people playing instrumentsa painting of a man playing a musical instrumenta painting of a man holding a knife and fork in his handa painting of a man and a woman on a walla painting of a man in a turban holding a signpainting of a man holding a sign in front of a painting of a womana painting on the wall of a bar with a sign on ita picture of a painting with a sign on ita painting of a man in a tuxedo holding a knifea picture of a piece of wood with a tag on ita picture of a piece of wood with a hole in ita picture of an old wooden box with some paint on ita picture of a wall that has been torn downa picture of a room that is being remodeleda picture of an old wooden cabinet with some paint on ita picture of an old wooden frame with some paint on it
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Premium Maître Sophie RENARD

237 - School, circa 1940 "You drink, you die; if you don’t drink, …
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Estimate €1,500 - €2,500
Sale commission
Description
School, circa 1940 "You drink, you die; if you don’t drink, you die; so drink", Le Jockey Oil on canvas Dimensions: 130 x 206 cm Part of a series of works adorning the walls of the Cabaret Le Jockey in Montparnasse A famous cabaret of the Parisian bohemian scene during the Roaring Twenties, located at 146 Boulevard du Montparnasse, on the corner of Rue Campagne-Première, Le Jockey Club was founded in 1923 by a small colony of expatriate American artists. The idea was to have a club of their own, inspired by American bars and clubs, in the heart of the ‘Montparnasse village’. Initially decorated in a ‘Western’ style with silhouettes of cowboys, Native Americans and motifs from the Wild West painted by the American artist Hilaire Hiler, the atmosphere was deliberately laid-back, with paper tablecloths, a mismatched collection of furniture, posters stuck crookedly on the walls, jazz playing round the clock, and a clientele comprising famous artists, students, models, writers and adventurers. It quickly became one of the hubs of Montparnasse’s nightlife, frequented by artists, writers and American expatriates; one could rub shoulders there with the geniuses of the 20th century, including regulars such as Ernest Hemingway, Jean Cocteau, Ezra Pound, Louis Aragon, Tsuguharu Foujita, Tristan Tzara, Moïse Kisling and, above all, the famous Kiki de Montparnasse There, she sang risqué songs, danced the French cancan, improvised acts and brought the cabaret nights to life. At that time, she lived right next door with Man Ray, on Rue Campagne-Première. Many consider that it was at the Jockey that she truly became the ‘Queen of Montparnasse’. On any given evening, one might encounter a famous painter, a penniless poet, an English aristocrat and an American jazz musician all in the same place. Unlike Le Dôme or La Coupole, which were cafés or brasseries, the Jockey was a veritable laboratory of modern nightlife: jazz, dancing, liberal mores, and a mix of nationalities and social classes. Many historians consider it to have embodied the freest spirit of Montparnasse in the 1920s.
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About the sale BEAUTIFUL SUMMER SALE
Auction location
Auction time 06/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures modified on 06/22/2026 at 4:15 PM
Lot description modified on 06/16/2026 at 5:20 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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