Montparnasse

=Montparnasse=

> Montparnasse is an artistic district on the left bank of the river Seine in Paris, France. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, this area was extremely famous as a center for artistic life in Paris. People came from all over the globe to contribute to this scene. From 1921-1924, the number of Americans living in this area rose from 6,000-30,000. Penniless artists from various backgrounds came to live as one beautiful community. Many now-famous artists met in caf és around the city and became friends. Some of the artists that lived in this area include Picasso, Satie, and Hemingway. Life was not always easy for these artists. Jean Cocteau, a famous artist, even once said that poverty was a luxury in Montparnasse. Cafés in the city would allow starving artists to sleep there and would hold an artist’s work in place for a payment until they could find a way to pay the bill. During the time that Montparnasse was famous, however, art works were only sold for a few francs, whereas today they are sold for millions of euros.

Sadly, World War II disrupted the beautiful harmony created in Montparnasse, and the area hasn’t been the same since. Today, a museum, the Musée du Montparnasse, stands to honor this iconic art scene.