Bohemian Paris: Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, and the Birth of Modern Art (Hardcover)

by Dan Franck (Author), Cynthia Liebow (Translator) "As the century began, Montmartre and Montparnasse faced each other from afar: two hills which would be the birthplaces of the worlds of yesterday and..." (more)
Key Phrases: cubist painters, fifty francs, Max Jacob, Bateau Lavoir, Guillaume Apollinaire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Franck, an extremely prolific French novelist, has produced some gloomy fictional narratives of wrenching relationships, a few of which have appeared in English (Separation; My Russian Love). He seems to want to lighten up here with a series of nonfiction anecdotes rife with novelistic invented dialogue. In three main sections, titled by neighborhood ("The Anartists of Montmartre," "Montparnasse Goes to War" and "Montparnasse, Open City,") a series of tales involving early 20th-century art movements like fauvism, cubism, dadaism and surrealism are recounted as if yelled artist to artist across the counter of a noisy bistro, as Franck assumes a deep familiarity with the subject. Leaping from writers Apollinaire, Cocteau and Hemingway to painters Modigliani, Picasso and Matisse, Franck drops names ponderously. His disavowal in the preface, "I am not an art historian" is not modest enough; there is little conventionally grounded history among these yarns of brawls, food -fights, drunken disputes and art making. A poor translation does not help, with sentences like "Charlie Chaplin didn't come, and nor did Bergson or D'Annunzio" or " `I forbid you to excite yourself with my women!' exclaimed Pascin." French culture buffs will be vexed by such formulations, while anyone not already familiar with obscure Parisian figures like the painters Foujita and Pascin will just be puzzled. 16 pages of b&w photos and illus. not seen by PW.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The rich mixture of international cultures, ideas, personalities, and passions in early 20th-century Paris resulted in an explosive blend of creativity. Writers and artists experimented with bold new concepts, such as Cubism and Dadaism, but they also found time to pursue turbulent love affairs, frequent cafes, challenge each other to duels, and more usually on little or no money. Their stories make for good reading, and French screenwriter/novelist Franck (My Russian Love) spins lavish historical, biographical, artistic, and even scandalous details into a narrative that will captivate both serious and casual readers. He illuminates Picasso's complexities as both friend and lover, introduces us to the mannerly poet Max Jacob, and revisits Apollinaire, Jarry, Modigliani, Cocteau, Matisse, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald, among countless others all set against the marvelously depicted backdrop of bohemian Paris. Though this era has been often treated, Franck's presentation is especially good; he is able to show how all these artists interacted while allowing them to remain individuals. This marvelous and informative volume will inspire readers to become better acquainted with the works produced by these individuals. For circulating libraries and arts collections. Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; First Edition edition (October 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802116973
• ISBN-13: 978-0802116970
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,150,832 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VIVID WORD PICTURES OF A SIGNIFICANT ERA, February 17, 2002

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

Part fiction, part art history, Bohemian Paris is a fascinating read. How can it be otherwise when the pages are inhabited by such colorful figures as Picasso. Modigliani, Jean Cocteau, Henri Matisse, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein?

Franck, the author of 15 books, escorts readers on a wide-screen tour of magical Paris during a period of 30 years, 1900 - 1930. That was a time of new birth in the world of artistic creation when painters, sculptors, writers, and versifiers struggled to covey revolutionary ideas and images. Some of these creators were feted at opulent, devil-may care galas while others worked in the direst poverty.

Learned and repressed poet Guillaume Apollinaire hovered on the periphery of this circle; Jean Cocteau might trip a friend to advance himself but how brilliant he was! Amedeo Modigliani gave to others when he had naught for himself; Gertrude Stein presided over her unparalleled salons.

And from these minds and from that time sprang cubism, Fauvism, dadaism and surrealism. Paris, both public and private, sizzled with creativity.

With Bohemian Paris author Franck has painted vivid word pictures of that significant era and collected numerous vignettes about the private lives of those who dramatically influenced art as we now know it.

- Gail Cooke

14 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It's Franck..., April 7, 2003

By	Binx Bolling (New Orleans) - See all my reviews

What a subject! What a terrible book!

At first I thought it was a bad translation. But no, the French version is just as disjointed, poorly edited and nearly unreadable as the English version.

just two examples from among the many:
1: Franck recounts an auction, noting that Picasso kept his silence throughout the auction. We later learn that Picasso wasn't there... so, did he keep quiet? or did he stay away?

2: We get a detailed account of Arthur Cravan's boxing exhibition with Jack Johnson, after which, Mr. Frank notes: "Jack Johnson never stepped into the ring again." Of course, he meant Cravan, but that"s not what he said. In fact, the entire book is like that.

An author, by the way, is responsible for reading own proofs, so the faults of editing are the faults of the author.....

As I said the topic is fantatic, and when I could sift through the author's drivel, I found it interesting, though he probably provides more information about Solomon and Max Jacob than I would like and not enough about some of Picasso's mistresses, which I think would have been interesting...

Ah, Franck est francais... what else can i say??