A day out in Montmartre

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s passing, the Musée Montmartre goes back to the artist’s Bateau-Lavoir period at the beginning of his Parisian career. In a highly original fashion, Picasso’s work is shown through the eyes of Fernande Olivier, Picasso’s muse and lover from 1905 to 1911. She was his main model in the years of hardship, during which Picasso went through different styles – the blue period, rose period, then cubism and early fame. Fernande wrote her memoirs in Picasso and his friends and Loving Picasso (only released after Picasso’s death), which preciously bear witness to the moment the Spanish painter’s genius truly emerged. In old interview recordings she also talks about his group of friends which included poets Max Jacob and Apollinaire, painters Braque and Van Dongen, plus the entire colony of Spanish artists living in Paris at the time! 

Not forgetting evenings spent at the Lapin Agile, Sundays at collationers’ houses, such as Stein as well as relationships with art dealers Vollard and Kahnweiler. A very lively way of retracing the lives these figures led before WWI. The exhibition is divided into several sections of works on loan from Musée Picasso. One is focused on Fernande Olivier and her personal life, pre-Picasso up to her death. They stayed in touch throughout their lives and visitors will see that Fernande also painted and produced some highly expressive self-portraits. The second section reveals the rigorous and impressive artistic evolution of Picasso’s work from that period through the increasing fragmentation of Fernande’s face in sculptures and paintings before adopting a full cubist style.

The final and third section covers the artistic environment of the time, with portraits of Fernande painted by other Montmartre artists such as Kees Van Dongen and Ricard Canals, etc. Through Fernande and Picasso, the exhibition equals a passionate social and artistic fresco of pre-war Paris reflecting a hive of creative activity!Leaving Montmartre behind, we suggest heading down to lively Abbesses and Rue des 3 frères where the many restaurants are less touristic than those at Place du Tertre. Or simply stop off for a drink at Bénélum where Ludmilla, an expert who creates her own alcohol infusions, makes cocktails and Benjamin serves an assortment of truffle tapas. What a day in Paris!