![Théophile Alexandre Steinlen - The Ball of July 14 [1889] by Gandalf's Gallery](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/9299486946_53eeaa58fe.jpg)
With his characters seated at sidewalk cafes and dancers entwined, Steinlen captures in a colourful style and the joyful exuberance of a ball. The painter brings together for this celebration of July 14, a host of familiar figures of Paris not only workers, artisans, domestic servants, but also pimps and crooks that were known then as Apaches.
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, frequently referred to as just Steinlen (Lausanne, November 10, 1859 – Paris, December 13, 1923), was a Swiss-born French Art Nouveau painter and printmaker. His permanent home, Montmartre and its environs was a favorite subject throughout Steinlen's life and he often painted scenes of some of the harsher aspects of life in the area. In addition to paintings and drawings, he also did sculpture on a limited basis, most notably figures of cats that he had great affection for as seen in many of his paintings.
[Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg - Oil on canvas, 190 x 272 cm]