Pavil (1873 – 1948) was born in Odessa, Russia in 1873. He went to Paris in 1892. He established himself in Montmartre, on the Rue Caulaincourt. For most of the next fifty years he painted the cafes, the beautiful women, the jazz bands and artist ateliers of Paris. His paintings show an intimate knowledge of the inhabitants of the streets and alley’s of Montmartre. Elegant couples dancing, beautiful models posing, working men finishing their day with a drink at the bar, all were captured in Pavil’s carefully balanced compositions, many of which show the distinct the influence of Degas and Renoir.