La Coupole
Picasso - Gertrude Stein - 1906
Modigliani - Study for a portrait of Béatrice Hastings - 1915
Marie Vorobieff aka Marevna - Tribute to friends of Montparnasse - From L. to R. Rivera, Marevna, their daughter Marika, Ehrenbourg, Soutine, Modigliani and his wife Jeanne Hébuterne, Jacob, Kisling, Zborowski.
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You can be sure you will learn what most Parisians totally ignore when they hurry by these places daily
We will follow the traces of Gertrude Stein and her family of well known patrons of the arts who ‘discovered’ Matisse and Picasso. We’ll find back the site of « Le Sphinx », a well known and luxurious local brothel. Together we’ll recreate the vibrant - even feverish - atmosphere through various astonishing and often amusing or poetic anecdotes.
Many migrated from Montmartre, all met their lovers, their mistresses in more discreet places, studios, bars, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs: Kiki « The Queen » of Montparnasse, Youki, Colette, Simone de Beauvoir, Marevna and legendary dancers like Isadora Duncan and Flossie Martin, etc ...
This diversity will be illustrated with household names such as Picasso, Modigliani, Foujita, Giacometti, Braque, Léger, Soutine, Apollinaire, Aragon, Sartre, Breton, Joyce, ... and others less well known who also spent their nights at lascivious parties where alcohol flowed oh so freely.
Where is the Montparnasse described in Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast»? We will discover it through the vast iconic brasseries of the "Montparnos" with the American artists and writers: Fitzgerald, Dos Passos, Capa, Miller, Calder who revelled in this cosmopolitan world.
Montparnasse - Capital of Artists (1902-1939)
TOUR 8
The TOURS
All tours are organized in the historical heart of the city and comprise an overview of how Paris evolved: a quick summary takes you from pre-historic times to the 13th century. Tours do not cover the famous tourist monuments such as The Louvre or Notre-Dame but they focus on charming, off-beat places, from the 13th to the 20th century, covering their history and accompanying anecdotes, be they funny or tragic.
Tours are entirely on foot, and last from 2 to 3 hours depending on your level of interest and questions asked. Rain is never a cause for cancellation (although we prefer sunshine to umbrellas!)