Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse
Category: Books,Biographies & Memoirs,Historical
Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse Details
Review “Offers a fresh and moving account of the origins of modern art...revelatory.” ―Deborah Solomon, The New York Times Book Review“Meisler...makes good use of contemporary diaries and other documents to paint vivid portraits of his central figures: sophisticated, sociable Modigliani; shy, solitary Soutine; and ambitious, calculating Chagall.” ―Wendy Smith, The Washington Post“Stanley Meisler's Shocking Paris presents a richly informed, absorbing and stimulating account of the life and work of some of the best known expatriate artists of early twentieth century Paris, including Chagall, Modigliani, Pascin, and Soutine, who challenged the growing anti-Semitism and xenophobia of Europe in the 1920s and 1930s through their contributions to modern art and culture. Shocking Paris is a pleasure to read and is filled with fascinating insights into the creative achievements of these radical outsiders whose names have become synonymous with Paris between the two world wars.” ―Michael Taylor, director, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College“Wonderfully readable... an outstanding contribution to the history of 20th Century art.” ―David M. Kinchen, Huntington News“Meisler throws new light on Soutine and, more broadly, on the experiences of aspiring immigrant artists in the city that fostered their dreams.” ―Kirkus“Stanley Meisler offers a fascinating account of how scores of foreign Jewish artists sought refuge and inspiration in the cultural fever of the French capital in the interwar years…Meisler argues persuasively that the most original artist among these exiles was Chaim Soutine,…[who] finally assumes his place alongside other masters of modern art.” ―Alan Riding, author of And The Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris“The School of Paris included Chaim Soutine, Marc Chagall, Amedeo Modigliani, and Jules Pascin... Meisler offers an intimate account of their lives... A fascinating read for anyone interested in art history or art.” ―Library Journal“Chilling... a meticulous examination... Meisler brings a fresh perspective to this ardent trio's struggles and triumphs while charting the rising anger among the French against the brilliant immigrant artists gathered in Montparnasse, fury that found a ready channel once the Nazis invaded.” ―Booklist“Paints a vivid picture of bohemian life in Paris, detailing the passions and personalities of artists, dealers and collectors, as well as shifting artistic currents: the "operatic tragedy" of Modigliani, the ambition and success of Chagall, the sauvage (wild) and fou (mad) intensity of Soutine.” ―Star Tribune Read more About the Author Stanley Meisler is an emeritus foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. He is a distant relation (by marriage) of Chaim Soutine and has written several articles on Soutine and the School of Paris for the Smithsonian and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Washington, DC. Read more
Reviews
"Shocking Paris" focuses on several artists who worked in the Montparnasse district of Paris in the early part of the 20th century. A generation younger than the impressionists, they tended to be Jewish emigres from both Russia itself and the Czarist-controlled "Russian Pale" satellites of Lithuania, Belarus, and Poland, although one prominent member of their circle was the Italian Jew Amedeo Modigliani. As the subtitle indicates, the book devotes its greatest attention to Chaim Soutine and Marc Chagall.Initially many of the impoverished painters who took up residence in Montparnasse were sustained by communal living arrangements at a building called La Ruche ("beehive") named after its unique architectural style. Then, as they established themselves, dealers and angels provided living expenses, until several gained wide fame. And an important boost to that initial fame came at the hands of the wealthy Dr. Albert Barnes of Philadelphia. Buying nearly 60 paintings by Soutine and other canvases as well, he catapulted the Montparnasse artists to international attention. However, their work at first elicited a negative reaction from professional critics in the United States, and this explains a lot about the limited access that Barnes would subsequently grant to his collection. In the book's concluding chapters, the drama increases further as the years leading up to and including World War II endangered the sometimes poorly-assimilated Jewish painters.
