Painted in 1874 this 15 x 21 1/8 inch painting is one of the most often reproduced of the Vibert paintings.

The scene is set in the reception room of a rich monastery hung with old tapestries, and features a tall bald jovial abbot on the left, and a his companion the cardinal, a small sallow man long grey hair. After a hearty lunch with much wine, the cardinal on the right has toasted a lifelong abbot bishop friend. However the effects of the wine begin to kick in and they end up bickering over an old theological dispute. So the reference books come out of the library and unable to agree, with one impulse, both falling back into their armchairs, remain seated back to back without speaking another word !

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