A lively and deeply researched group biography of the figures who transformed the world of art in bohemian Paris in the first decade of the twentieth century In Montmartre is a colorful history of the birth of Modernist art as it arose from one of the most astonishing collections of artistic talent ever assembled. It begins in October 1900; as a teenage Pablo Picasso; eager for fame and fortune; first makes his way up the hillside of Parisrsquo;s famous windmill-topped district. Over the next decade; among the studios; salons; cafeacute;s; dance halls; and galleries of Montmartre; the young Spaniard joins the likes of Henri Matisse; Andreacute; Derain; Maurice de Vlaminck; Georges Braque; Amedeo Modigliani; Constantin Brancusi; Gertrude Stein; and many more; in revolutionizing artistic expression.Sue Roe has blended exceptional scholarship with graceful prose to write this remarkable group portrait of the men and women who profoundly changed the arts of painting; sculpture; dance; music; literature; and fashion. She describes the origins of movements like Fauvism; Cubism; and Futurism; and reconstructs the stories behind immortal paintings by Picasso and Matisse. Relating the colorful lives and complicated relationships of this dramatic bohemian scene; Roe illuminates the excitement of the moment when these bold experiments in artistic representation and performance began to take shape.A thrilling account; In Montmartre captures an extraordinary group on the cusp of fame and immortality. Through their stories; Roe brings to life one of the key moments in the history of art.Praise for In Montmartre"Lively and engaginghellip;.[Readers] will find a fresh sense of how all these peoplemdash;the geniuses and the hangers-on; the wealthy collectors and the unworldly paintersmdash;related to each otherhellip;..In [Roersquo;s] entertaining; ingeniously structured account Roe brings Montmatrersquo;s hedyday back to life." mdash;Sunday Times (London) "With evocative imagery Roe sketches out the intensely visual spectacle on which Montmatrersquo;s artistic community was able to drawhellip;. Roe is particularly good at communicating the extraordinary devotion of Matisse and Picasso to their work." mdash;Financial TimesFrom the Hardcover edition.
#865113 in eBooks 2014-06-12 2014-06-12File Name: B00L7DEMS0
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A conversation piece for those looking to make a difference;SAVING OUR CITIES addresses problems and offers solutionsBy Cyrus WebbThere are so many who focus on the problems that we face today. How refreshing it is to see there are individuals out there who are also offering solutions that can turn things around.In SAVING OUR CITIES author William "Bill" Goldsmith does just that; showing that in many ways the urban areas of the United States have been neglected and given a bad rap; but all is not lost. He is able to show that whether we are discussing issues of education; the drug epidemic or jobs; there are ways we can begin to change things. First we have to admit that what is being done currently isnt solving the problem. Then we have to be willing to do the work necessary to invest in the areas that might seem hopeless. Goldsmith takes this out of the abstract and gives real examples of how individuals are taking steps to improve their own areas and how what they are doing can be duplicated.The other thing that really impressed me about the book was the reminder that no matter where we live in the country that if one area is suffering then it affects us all. Hopefully people who read SAVING OUR CITIES will realize that and do their part to improve conditions that can positively impact others.Full of research but also heart; SAVING OUR CITIES is a great conversation piece for those looking to make a difference.
