Why is Els Quatre Gats called Els Quatre Gats?

"Chat Noir", "Noir et Blanc" y "Quat Z' Arts"

by Enrique Robertson

    The expression 'four cats' refers to an equal number of pussycats belonging to the genus Felix catus. It is also used as a way of conveying a scarce number of people; less, for example, than would have been expected to show up at a special event. In such a way that if those who were to visit the imminent exhibition of my incomparable graphic works were few, somebody would definitely say something along the lines of: "there were four cats". But such characters- poor cats without shoes on- will be left with the urge to make such biting remarks, because when the opening of my unseen, I repeat, never seen- exhibition finally takes place in Els Quatre Gats, there will be more people than Picasso managed to get together when he had a show here 99 years ago, in February of the year 1900 to be more exact. During this time, the famous Modernist "brewery" "Els Quatre Gats", which was opened on the 12^th of June, 1987, thanks to the initiative of four cats: Pere Romeu, Ramón Casas, Santiago Rusiñol and Miguel Utrillo, was at its height; just as it is now, of course. But do you know why they baptized it "Els Quatre Gats"? This is a lot less clear than what we've been talking about uptil now. If you think you know, I ask you to double-check your sources. I suspect that you, like me, will realize that there is a certain penumbra around this matter. It is said that Romeu and Utrillo were inspired by the name "Le Chat Noir"- and in other details of this Parisian place they knew so well- when they planned to breathe life into a new establishment in Barcelona. This might be absolutely true; it's the accepted version. But in some way, this version irritates those who believe they have the official truth. This version seems to be only a half-truth to one of the servers, who bases his theory entirely on what was said by Rubén Darío, when he came to visit "Els Quatre Gats". A century ago, Darío, remembering his visit, said: "Los Cuatro Gatos are something of an imitation of the Chat Noir in Paris, with Pere Romeu by Salís, a silent salís, a cabaret gentleman whom I believe is quite a renowned painter...". This opinion must have been based on the knowledge that Pere Romeu had worked during a certain time in "Le Chat Noir". But not just because it comes from a great poet, does Darío's opinion have to be irrefutable; the proof being that Romeu never was "a renowned painter". Romeu and Utrillo performed shadow plays in "Le Chat Noir", that's for sure. As we know, they later did the same in "Els Quatre Gats" with the help of Ramón Casas and Santiago Rusiñol, both of whom knew "Le Chat Noir" (and the ballad of the black cat sung by Aristide Bruant).

    What's for sure is that these four Catalan friends became acquainted with other places with a Montmartre 'ambience'. Like Adolphe Willette's, famous French draftsman and caricature artist, as well known then as Rops o Steinlen, who was very much involved in "Le Chat Noir" and its "Journal du Chat Noir", the house's own magazine. Willette tried his luck with a small joint- so tiny that it was completely packed with four cats- that he named "Au Noir et Blanc".

    This name (without cat) could also have been said to have been a derivative of "Le Chat Noir", if it wasn't already known that it had absolutely nothing to do with it. By giving this name, Willette was referring to the blackness of coal and the whiteness of flour, because his bar was situated right in between a flour merchant and a man who sold coal. But that's a different story, let's get back to ours.

    Could the Parisian name "Chat Noir" have inspired the name "Quatre Gats"? Yes, it could. But there was during that time in Paris another place, with a very suspicious name, that in this mysterious case, could have been the one to inspire the naming of the Barcelona establishment. So as not to offend anybody we'll say that perhaps it wasn't alone, but it is definitely an accomplice in this naming process. We're referring to the Cabaret "Quat z' Arts". What's your opinion regarding the name of this Parisian cabaret? A little suspicious, isn't it? This meeting place, like "Le Chat Noir", published an illustrated literary magazine, simply called "Les 4 z' Arts", where Adolphe Willette also did some illustrations, an old friend of an old friend of Casas, Utrillo...