Cabaret des Quat'z'Arts

The Cabaret des Quat'z'Arts opened its doors in December 1893 at 62 Boulevard de Clichy, occupying the site of a former establishment known as the Cafe du Tambourin. Its founder, Francois Trombert, chose the name to honor a notorious annual costume ball held by students of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. That student ball had gained infamy earlier that same year when a nude model stood on a table at the Moulin Rouge, sparking a public scandal and a formal lawsuit. The name itself represented the four disciplines taught at the prestigious art school: architecture, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.