J. M. Lalouette

Identity:

J. M. Lalouette was married, with a daughter called Eugénie ('Bibi'). His wife's sister was also called Eugénie.

Life:

J. M. Lalouette, restaurateur, is recorded as having a restaurant at 5 Rue de l'Odeon, Paris, between 1860 and 1868. It is not clear where his restaurant premises were before this, somewhere 'near the Rue Dauphine' according to the Pennells. It appears that Whistler frequented his establishment with Fantin-Latour and Legros during his first stay in Paris, 1855-59.

Whistler left for London owing Lalouette money, and although Lalouette wrote that he received an instalment in 1860, two years later he was still awaiting full payment, and was being pestered by other local tradesmen for Whistler's address (Lalouette to Whistler, 8 August 1860, GUW #02475; 6 May 1862, GUW #02476).

A beautiful etching of Lalouette's daughter, Bibi Lalouette [33], might have been made in part payment, but eventually, Whistler paid his debts. The restaurant was closed in 1871 on the death of its owner.

Bibliography:

Pennell, Elizabeth Robins, and Joseph Pennell, The Life of James McNeill Whistler, 2 vols, London and Philadelphia, 1908 , vol. 1, p. 55. Margaret F. MacDonald, Grischka Petri, Meg Hausberg, and Joanna Meacock, James McNeill Whistler: The Etchings, a catalogue raisonné, University of Glasgow, 2012, online website (G.33).