Entrance to the Moulin de la Galette

Vincent van Gogh

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Keywords: EntranceMoulinGalette

Work Overview

Entrance to the Moulin de la Galette
Vincent van Gogh
Date: 1887; Paris, France *
Style: Post-Impressionism
Genre: cityscape
Media: watercolor, paper
Location: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands


The current name Moulin de la Galette is based upon galette, a small brown bread that the Debray millers, who owned the mill in the 19th century, made and sold with a glass of milk. The tasty bread became so popular that it later became the name of the windmill.[3] In 1830, they replaced milk with wine (especially the local Montmartre wine) and the windmill became a cabaret.[4] Parisians made their way to Montmartre to enjoy "the simple pleasures" of the countryside with a glass of wine, freshly baked bread and a terrace view of Paris and the Seine below. In 1833, one of the Debrays decided to open an area for dancing, dedicated to the Greek muse Terpsichore. His flair for dancing and enthusiasm attracted patrons to the dancing hall and it became a success.