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EXCURSION AROUND MONTMARTRE
15 April
Objective of this activity
Introduce MMF on the artistic area of Paris. Otherwise
gone unnoticed this area has more art than that can be
seen by any artist! Aperative was offered by Shashi/Chandou.
Extract of the intro text: Curtasy:
Ms Asha RAJGURU &
Mr. Shashi DHARMADHIKARI
Meeting Place : Exit of Métro Abbesses. Note: The métro
station Abbesses is nearly 24 m below ground and
therefore, use of the lift is recommended.
The decoration of the entrance of the station is very
typical and was built by the sculpture Hector Guimard.
He constructed 141 metro stations likewise around Paris
in late 1800 but presently, only two of them survived
(the other one being Porte Dauphine).
Short History of Montmartre
During the period 1860 to the end of the First World
War, 1916, more than 500 painters, artists, musicians
and writers lived in this famous district. It was an
obvious choice for them, due to the quiet residential
area in plain air away from the Paris crowd, and also
its beautiful surrounding. Corot, whose many paintings
are exhibited in the Louvre Museum, started the trend by
painting the famous “Le Moulin de la Galette” in 1840.
Since then the world famous impressionists like Manet,
Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, Pissaro, Van Gogh
brothers lived in this area. In 1905, Picasso left
Madrid and joined this trend.
The Montmartre district is famous in the world as a
“Bohème” area, which signifies “Easy and Enjoyable Life”
. Around 1880, many music halls (cabarets) opened around
the Pigalle area. In 1840, “L’Elysée-Montmartre” was
opened and in 1881 the old post office building was
transferred into a music hall “Le Chat Noir”. In 1899,
the famous music hall Moulin Rouge opened its doors and
since then it remains the most popular music hall of the
Paris. Michou, a famous television celebrity with his
blue dress and spectacle, has a restaurant just few
meters from the Abbesses.
Unknown to many outsiders, the Montmartre is the only
wine growing area in the Paris (the other being Suresnes
just outside Paris). On the first Saturday of October,
Montmartre locals pay a thundering tribute to the God of
wine “Bacchus” during a symbolic celebration.
Route vers la Bohème (Excursion to Enjoyable Life) - Few
Suggestions
Place des Abbesses
Square Jehan-Rictus : In this garden, Verlaine, aged 26
married on 11th August 1870, wrote on a wall “I Love
You”, since then this slogan became universal for wall
writing.
Place Emile-Goudeau
The name of the place comes from a famous poet and
singer who made all Parisians dance in early 1900. It
was also a meeting place for artists like Picasso. On n°
13, the building named “ Le Bateau-Lavoir” due to its
shape like a boat. Picasso was one of the tenants in
this building, paying a reasonable rent of 15 Francs per
week. But he has had famous neighbours (generally known
as “Bande à Picasso”) such as poet Apollinaire, the
writer and the painter Max Jacob, Juan Gris (who left
Spain like Picasso and installed in Paris in 1906). Here
Picasso painted the famous picture “Les Demoiselles
d’Avignon”.
Rue d’Orchamps
On the angle of rue Ravignan and rue d’Orchamps, there
are few artist studios and further along, there is a
small wine yard. At the end of the road lived the famous
French singer Dalida.
Moulin de la Galette
On the hills of Montmartre, there were over 30
windmills, unfortunately only few are left and amongst
them, the “Moulin de la Galette” is the most famous one.
Between 1830 and 1860, these windmills were used not
only to grind the wheat but also to press wine. Ten
years after the Commune de Paris (1871), a music hall
was constructed and the Parisians used to come here to
spend their Sunday afternoons to drink and dance around
the accordion.
At the end of the 19th century, Renoir settled here (12,
rue Cortot, presently the Montmartre museum), to paint
the famous painting “Bal du Moulin de la Galette”, he
used to set up a huge canvas and was surrounded by a
large crowd of people under the bright lightening
filtered through tree leaves. According to an anecdote,
everyday his friends helped him by bringing suitable
material to fit surrounding and thus, to create an
ambiance.
Rue Lepic
At the corner of rue Lepic and rue Girardon, there is
another old windmill “Le Moulin Radet” built in 1717. At
number 87, lived the famous painter and artist Adolphe
Willette who painted many pictures on the theme of
Pierrot, famous personality amongst children.
At 54, the brothers Van Gogh stayed here. Pissaro
initiated technique of impressionist painting to one of
the brothers, Vincent. Since then, Vincent Van Gogh
created over dozen impressionist paintings on Montmartre.
In the Montmartre district, Vincent Van Gogh also met
another genious painter, Cézanne, with whom he developed
a profound friendship. However, he had not such chance
with Gauguin. Here, Vincent Van Gogh also had the
opportunity to meet other celebrities like Monet,
Renoir, Degas and Sisley. All together, they held an
exposition in a café “Le Tambourin” situated at 42
boulevard de clichy.
Place Jean Baptiste Clément
This place is named after a poet who wrote “Le Temps des
cerises” in 1866. The famous Italian painter Modigliani
arrived in Paris and stayed at n° 7 rue Lepic. He took
life style of Montmartre too liberally, and spent most
of evenings in music hall “Le Lapin Agile” forming a
rival group to Picasso. He went extreme, and once his
painting exhibition showing the naked women was
confiscated by the police.
Auberge de la Bonne-Franquette
Pissaro, Sisley, Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir,
Monet, Degas et Zola used to visit this place frequently
in their time. Vincent Van Gogh took inspiration here
for his famous painting “La Guinguette”.
Place du Tertre
This corner of Montmartre district is solely reserved
for amateur artists. You can spend hours and hours
watching the artists at work and the way they paint
their models, simple passes-by like you.
The actual hotel-restaurant “La Bohème du Tertre” was
called le café Bouscarat, the place where all easy going
artists used to gather to spent their leisure time.
Rue Cortot
The Montmartre museum is situated on this street. Many
famous artists and painters like Renoir, Emile Bernard
who received regular visits from their friends including
Gauguin and Van Gogh. The compositor Aristide Bruant who
wrote songs such as “A Belleville”, “Nini peau d’chien”
or “A Saint-Lazare” lived at number 16.
Rue des Saules
At the corner of rue Saint-Vincent and rue des Saules,
one observes wine yards of Montmartre. Despite very
unfavourable geographical conditions (not enough
sunshine, northern situation), the Gamay and Pinot Noir
wine is cultivated with a great success.
On the square (22 rue des Saules) is situated one of its
most famous music hall of Paris “Le Lapin Agile”. It was
opened in 1860 and changed name many times from
“Rendez-vous des Voleurs” to “le Cabaret des Assassins,”
etc. Picasso and his troupe, Apollinaire, Max Jacob are
just few names to quote as its clients. During early
1900, the patron played Le temps des cerises serving
strange (but luckily not dangerous) mixtures of wines.
Once, Picasso offered him a huge painting which remained
on the wall of the restaurant until 1914. The famous
painter André Gill painted the building sign, a rabbit
bouncing on a saucepan. A sort of a “jeu de mot” has
changed “le lapin à Gill” to le Lapin Agile!
Allée des Brouillards (Misty Alley)
In the 17th century, a small farm and a mill used to
stand here, shrouded in mist on stormy days, hence the
name. This was only big farm around Paris and the
Parisians used to come here to drink milk.
In 1764, a high judicial court advocate ordered the
building of a fine residence, the “Maison des
Brouillards” (house of mist). In 1850, the building was
demolished to make way for small houses, one of which
was occupied by the painter Renoir.
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