Montparnasse Revisited: The Brilliant Years—1900-1914

The movie "The Brilliant Years" focuses on what happened in the Parisian neighborhood Montparnasse between the years 1900 and 1914. The name of the neighborhood had originated three hundred years before, when a small hill was named Mont Parnasse after the original one in Ancient Greece. Men would come to duel and university students would go there in order to recite their poetry as a form of artistic or intellectual “dueling.” But at the beginning of the twentieth century, poets and artists from all over the world gathered in Montparnasse, Paris, in order to enjoy life, express themselves, and, at the same time, challenge the traditional art establishment.

Among these invaders were Pablo Picasso from Spain, Brancusi from Rumania, Paskin from Bulgaria, Fuji from Japan, and Severini from Italy. They came to Paris in order to produce artistically. In other words, Paris became the artistic capital of the world, which Athens used to represent during the glorious era of the Ancient Greek civilization. At that time, Paris was the best city in the world for an artist to live: There were the art galleries, the museums and a place called Le Salon, which is known today as Le Grand Palais (The Great Palace). Le Salon—as its name implies—was where the artists used to go in order to contemplate the finest pieces of art. And the society that used to frequent it was interested in fine hats as well, which was an elitist fashion at that time; and they spent a fortune in order to afford them. So, these were the things,among so many others, which had motivated the world’s artistic elite to come to Paris.

Besides artistic matters, there was also the desire to enjoy life. And Paris was probably the best place for this, especially for an artist. First of all, life was relatively cheap and affordable for the artists. It was easy to find a studio, and the price was reasonable. “Life was cheap, and it was easy to find a way to live,” declared a woman who had been a witness of that golden period. Also, along Le Boulevard Montparnasse were the cafés and the bars where artists and poets would gather in order to share their belongings, their opinions and their arts with one another. Everyone in the group was, to some extent, considered equal; and there was a great sense of fraternity. The owners of the cafés and bars were supportive as well. “They knew that an artist could afford a cup of coffee, and nothing else,” declared another witness. Also, the cafésand bars used to be the places where most poets and artists spent most of their winter days in order to protect themselves from the cold.

Another reason why these artists immigrated to Paris was artistic freedom. They wanted to live in a place where they could not only live freely, but also express themselves artistically without fear or restraints. And Paris was precisely the place for this lifestyle. For example, when Pablo Picasso came up with Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, the whole Paris was shocked by it. The painting had found some strong opposition, but still he had the chance or the opportunity to expose it. And today, with no doubt, this piece is among the most famous in the world of fine arts. Well, what would have happened if Barcelona had been the first place to witness the composition and the exposition of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon? Would this master piece have found its way among the master pieces of the world of fine arts? I doubt it, for in order to find your ownartistic way, you need to have a certain freedom of artistic expression, which was suppressed in so many countries during Picasso’s time—and Barcelona itself had not yet fully liberated from the strict rules of the convention.

The movie "The Brilliant Years" is an interesting one, for it tells us about an important period in the history of fine arts. It tells us what Paris used to be and might never be again. From 1900 to 1914, Paris witnessed such a precious creation of fine arts. Brilliant French artists like Leger and Braque joined with those coming from outside like Picasso and Van Gogh and made Paris the most important art center in the world. Furthermore, what a marvelous lifestyle with so many cheap studios, beautiful cafés and bars that made the beauty of Montparnasse! Unfortunately, this marvelous period ended in 1914, with the beginning of World War I; and it was the eternal farewell to the “good life” and the exciting Paris!

Work Cited Movie: Montparnasse Revisited: The Brilliant Years—1900—1914. Director: Matthew Reinders.

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