Drunk and hazy, listening to Satie's music

The potent allure of absinthe, often dubbed the "green fairy," has long captivated artists, musicians, and writers, with composer Erik Satie being a notable figure whose life and work were intertwined with the spirit.

This emerald-hued liqueur was a muse for many creative minds in late 19th and early 20th century Paris. Artists like Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, and writers such as Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway are said to have indulged in absinthe. Hemingway reportedly mixed it with champagne, while Toulouse-Lautrec combined it with cognac, seeking inspiration and solace from their struggles.

Van Gogh, who depicted absinthe drinkers and often had a bottle of the spirit alongside his water carafe, described pouring "absinthe into the painting." He relied on it to cope with creative pressures, depression, and anxiety, which ultimately took a toll on his health. Toulouse-Lautrec, too, used absinthe to escape the physical pain of his disability and fuel his artistic output, even carrying a hidden flask in his cane.

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I don't know that I am drinking absinthe, nor that I am drinking absinthe.

Erik Satie, known for his eccentricities, was also a devoted consumer of absinthe, frequenting Parisian cabarets. His excessive drinking led to liver cirrhosis, and he died at 58. Satie's music is often characterized as dreamlike and hallucinatory, mirroring the effects of absinthe. The article suggests that listening to Satie's compositions can evoke a similar state of altered consciousness, even for those who are sober, implying a profound connection between his art and the spirit.

One of Satie's pieces, "The Diva of the Empire," composed in 1904, is highlighted. Originally a piano piece, it was later adapted for cabaret with lyrics, reflecting the bohemian atmosphere of the time. Despite its popularity, Satie remained poor throughout his life, while the cabaret owners and singers profited. Absinthe production was banned in the U.S. and France in the 1910s due to its hallucinogenic ingredient, thujone, but has since been re-legalized in small quantities.

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I pour absinthe into the painting.