Kiki's Paris: Artists and Lovers 1900-1930 Paperback – April 1, 1994

Kiki's Paris: Artists and Lovers 1900-1930 presents a delightful evocation of the life of Alice Prin, or Kiki, and her generation in Paris--from her favorite cafés and the cramped artists' studios where she modeled to her relationships with so many of the great artists of the period. The historical and personal details culled from books, memoirs, and letters alone would constitute a fabulous biography; with the photographs--more than 650--the book is transformed into a work of art in its own right. Publisher's Weekly raves, "Kiki ... was outrageous, charming, beautiful, talented--and so is the Paris that emerges. We see ... Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Man Ray, Stein, Léger, Cocteau, Brancusi, Soutine and hundreds of others...." Kiki's Paris is a paean to the heady blossoming of an era and the height of the artists' community in Montparnasse, vividly woven from the fragile strands of time. It is impossible to walk away from this book unaffected: even Paris-phobes will swoon under the influence of such intoxicating nostalgia. --Jhana Bach

In the space of one week Harry N. Abrams publish two books concerning legendary women who led remarkable lives on their own terms. "The Red Rose Girls" by Alice A. Carter, reveals the fortunes and mutual attactions of three hugely successful American artist/illustrators of the early 20th century: Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green and Violet Oakley. Graduates of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, they progressed to an idyllic existence together on a quasi-English country estate just outside Philadelphia. Financed by commissions from major publishers and architects, and buoyed up by public and critical acclaim that took no offence at their bohemian lifestyle, everything seemed perfect - until various problems arose and one of them opted out for conventional marriage to a man. Set in an era that wavered between obscured female sexuality and emerging women's rights, this fascinating and touching account of the Red Rose group includes numerous contemporary photographs and colour reproductions of their artwork. (Run on to 0810925915 "Kiki's Paris") - Charlotte Gerlings The arts scene of "Kiki's Paris, Artists and Lovers 1900-1930" jumps out in striking contrast to the constricted world of the Red Rose girls. The ferment of the modern movement in Montparnasse points up the city's internationality and the incessant pushing of artistic boundaries during that period. Visitors to the exhibition "Paris: Capital of the Arts, 1900-1968" at London's Royal Academy have recently been treated to works by all the leading artists mentioned in this attentively revised edition of Billy Kluver and Julie Martin's history - including Pablo Gargallo's exquisite sculpture of the "Queen of Montparnasse" herself. Scarcely anyone in art, music or literature was not either a friend or lover of the captivating Kiki; here she weaves in and out of the social and cultural parade - "very wonderful to look at", as Hemingway remarked, adding later, "being a Queen of course is very different from being a lady." (Run on after 0810990687 "Red Rose Girls") - Charlotte Gerlings