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Paris Montmartre: The artists of the hill
by Martin Loughlin
Montmartre has long been famous for its
artists, bohemian types and hangers-on. This hilly neighborhood was
originally outside of the city, and was named the Village de Montmartre. In the 19th
century it attracted painters and sculptors because of its low rents
and proximity to Paris: Van Gogh, Utrillo, Pissaro and Toulouse-Lautrec
all lived and worked here.
You can still see a number of the houses and
studios where they created some of the most famous paintings in the
world. Many individual buildings and streets still look much the same
as when they painted them.
A good place to start any artistic tour of Montmartre is the Place Emile-Goudeau on the south slope of the butte (knoll, or hill, in French), a short walk away from the Abbesses metro station. At no. 13 is the Bateau-Lavoir,
a small art studio that many artists, including Picasso and Modigliani
once called home. Here, Picasso painted one of his most famous and
controversial paintings, Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon.
The original building was remodeled in 1978. Today, it harbors about 25
artist and sculptor studios. You can see their work displayed in the
large showroom.
Another building of artistic interest close
to here is the building where Picasso had his first studio in Paris (49
rue Gabrielle).
A few minutes walk downhill from the square
you can see the rather drab-looking apartment building where Vincent
Van Gogh lived for several years in the 1880's (54 rue Lepic). Further
along the street there is a lovely garden hidden away behind high
walls. In one of these houses the surrealist painter Max Ernst lived
(75 rue Lepic). It would be nice to have some plaques or signs posted
on some of these buildings, but for the most part there is nothing to
indicate the buildings' importance.
Towards the top of the butte you
can still find the ‘Pink House' the subject of one of Utrillo's
most famous paintings (2 rue de l'Abreuvoir, now a small café).
Further along on rue Cortot, at no. 12, you can see how that same
café looked back in the days when Utrillo and his friends drank
there: there is a reconstruction of the café's interior in the
small but atmospheric museum of Montmartre. This museum is housed in a
17th century house, where Renoir once had a studio. It
captures the history and artistic legacy of the area in rooms of old
photos, paintings and drawings (12 rue Cortot).
Another museum that is worth a visit is the
“Espace Salvador Dali”. This small museum tucked away on a
street on the front of the butte, has a permanent exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculptures by Dali.
The artists are still in Montmartre but
these days, they can be found on the Place du Tertre, hunched over
easels and trying to earn a living from the tourists. You may find the
square crowded, but in fact the quantities of art for sale are
regulated — 2 paintings per square meter!
On place du Tertre, you may have to fend off the unwanted attentions of
dozens of ‘quick-draw' portrait painters, who just won't take no
for an answer. But away from the tourist-filled plazza, down some of
the more picturesque side streets, you can still feel the spirit of
some of the greatest names in art.
Copyright (c) 2007 - www.paris-hotel-by-district.com CH. All rights reserved.
 Read Martin Loughlin's feature on the history of Montmartre
Read Martin Loughlin's feature on the hills and staircases of Montmartre
Read Martin Loughlin's feature on the windmills and vineyard of Montmartre
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