For Art’s Own Sake

Bohemia may be a state of mind, but it found its most attractive enactment in fin de siècle Paris, inspired by Henry Murger’s 1851 classic Scènes de la Vie de Bohème

Ironically, the poor-but-carefree lifestyle depicted in Murger’s novel attracted young artists, writers and thinkers from wealthy families, who rejected convention, prioritising art over money and comfort. Esprit Montmartre: Bohemian Life in Paris Around 1900 celebrates the community that emerged on Montmartre hill, with some 150 paintings by Picasso, Bonnard, Degas, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and others who lived there at its most exciting period of ferment.

Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 7 February – 1 June 2014.