It was the decade of Coco Chanel, Joséphine Baker, art deco, surrealism and cabarets. American greats mingled with European artists such as Dalí and Picasso in the bohemian scene of Montparnasse, while Brassaï portrayed the dance halls of Montmartre. Rediscover the 1920s in Paris through this vibrant portrait.

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A vivid cultural portrait of 1920s Paris.

Paris is the City of Light in all its dimensions. In the 1920s, La Ville des lumières shines brightly and becomes a magnet for creative people from all over the world. It was the decade of Coco Chanel and Joséphine Baker, of art deco and surrealism, of café and cabaret culture. The most famous artists of the period, later called classical modernism, were in close contact and had intense exchanges, including Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso, René Clair, Sonia Delaunay, André Breton, Paul Éluard, Max Ernst and Salvador Dalí. The creative life and all its excesses flourish; bohème is the word for this way of life. Composers like Igor Stravinsky, writers like James Joyce or Ernest Hemingway and Eastern European exiles like Constantin Brancuşio and Marc Chagall enrich the illustrious Montparnasse scene. Photographers André Kertesz and Brassaï capture the vibrant bars and dance halls of Montmartre. The French economy is booming and luxury department stores like La Samaritaine open their doors. Coco Chanel creates her own perfume and designs the little black dress.

The book presents more than 30 outstanding works of architecture, painting, sculpture, film, photography, design and fashion, including the surrealist sculpture Giacometti's Ball of Suspension and the film An Andalusian Dog by Dalí and Buñuel. The flourishing creativity, diversity and savoir vivre make Paris a place craved by night owls, bons vivants and lovers of the fine arts to this day.

About the author

Rainer Metzger studied Art History, Modern History and Modern German Literature in Munich. He received his doctorate in 1994 with a thesis on Dan Graham and worked as an art and architecture editor for the Viennese newspaper Der Standard and has written numerous books on art, including titles on Van Gogh and Chagall. Since 2004 he has been Professor of Art History at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe.

• Pages: 96
• Language: English
• Author: Rainer Metzger Translator Daniela Gregori
• Year: 2020
• MODEL: 9783836567022

Publisher: Taschen