History of Atelier 11 Cité Falguière
In the beginning of the 20th century, Paris became increasingly attractive to foreign artists for a number of reasons: the lack of political repression, relative economic stability, the presence of the great masters of modern art, and a thriving world of art museums, galleries, critics, and collectors who supported the artists.
Known as the École de Paris or the School of Paris, international artists congregated in the vibrant neighbourhood of Montparnasse. Similar to La Ruche, another historical artists community in Montparnasse, the Cité Falguière was established during the late 19th century as an initiative of French artist and cultural professional Jules-Ernest Bouillot who worked with the sculptor and painter Alexandre Falguière. Bouillot had the idea of building low-cost studios that could be rented to artists with little resources. With this intent, in the 1860s he purchased the land, and in the 1870s the first artist studios of the Cité Falguière were built.
During its 150 years of artistic history, Cité Falguière’s artists studios served as a working and living place to more than a hundred French and international artists. Some renowned names are Amedeo Modigliani, Tsuguharu Foujita, Constantin Brancusi, Chaïm Soutine, and Paul Gauguin. Others are lesser-known artists, including many Russian citizens (Belarusians, and Ukrainians), Polish, Japanese, and also French, Americans, Germans, Norwegians, Swedish, Yugoslavs, Serbians, Belgians, Hungarian, Turkish, Iranian and Cuban. During this important period, known as the École de Paris, the exchange between artists of different nationalities, languages, cultures and religions produced a remarkable diversity of styles and marked the birth of Modernism, one of the most prolific periods in art history.
The most notable residents of Cité Falguière were two Jewish artists from very different cultural backgrounds, Russian-Lithuanian Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943) and Italian Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920). For a period of time, the two artists shared the same atelier space that brought them closer together and provided the opportunity for encouragement and inspirations. This creative exchange resulted in many important works that are now held in the collections of the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Tate Modern in London, among other major museums and private collections across the world.
Known as the École de Paris or the School of Paris, international artists congregated in the vibrant neighbourhood of Montparnasse. Similar to La Ruche, another historical artists community in Montparnasse, the Cité Falguière was established during the late 19th century as an initiative of French artist and cultural professional Jules-Ernest Bouillot who worked with the sculptor and painter Alexandre Falguière. Bouillot had the idea of building low-cost studios that could be rented to artists with little resources. With this intent, in the 1860s he purchased the land, and in the 1870s the first artist studios of the Cité Falguière were built.
During its 150 years of artistic history, Cité Falguière’s artists studios served as a working and living place to more than a hundred French and international artists. Some renowned names are Amedeo Modigliani, Tsuguharu Foujita, Constantin Brancusi, Chaïm Soutine, and Paul Gauguin. Others are lesser-known artists, including many Russian citizens (Belarusians, and Ukrainians), Polish, Japanese, and also French, Americans, Germans, Norwegians, Swedish, Yugoslavs, Serbians, Belgians, Hungarian, Turkish, Iranian and Cuban. During this important period, known as the École de Paris, the exchange between artists of different nationalities, languages, cultures and religions produced a remarkable diversity of styles and marked the birth of Modernism, one of the most prolific periods in art history.
The most notable residents of Cité Falguière were two Jewish artists from very different cultural backgrounds, Russian-Lithuanian Chaïm Soutine (1893-1943) and Italian Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920). For a period of time, the two artists shared the same atelier space that brought them closer together and provided the opportunity for encouragement and inspirations. This creative exchange resulted in many important works that are now held in the collections of the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Tate Modern in London, among other major museums and private collections across the world.
Reconstructed view of Cité Falguière based on Soutine's paintings (1914-16) featuring Atelier 11 and Atelier 13 (now destroyed)
Urban renewal of the Cité Falguière cul-de-sac began in the 1960s and the majority of artist studios were gradually destroyed to give way to residential buildings. Some were converted into private apartments, thus losing their artistic purpose and historic meaning.
Today the only testament to the history of this artistic community is Atelier 11 - the last remaining artist studio at Cité Falguière. For the past 40+ years this artist studio has been used by a painter of Serbian origin, Mira Maodus, continuing the intended purpose of the Cité Falguière as a space for artistic creation.
Today the only testament to the history of this artistic community is Atelier 11 - the last remaining artist studio at Cité Falguière. For the past 40+ years this artist studio has been used by a painter of Serbian origin, Mira Maodus, continuing the intended purpose of the Cité Falguière as a space for artistic creation.
|
|
For more information about the history Cité Falguière please visit this page.