Paris: Musée de Montmartre


Sacré-Cœur Basilica
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)

Follow the Steps of Struggling Artists and Bohemians in Montmartre…

Musée de Montmartre at 12 Rue Cortot, Paris
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)



Tucked away on a tiny Parisian street behind the Sacré-Cœur church is the charming Musée de Montmartre.  While it is less well known than the famous Sacré-Cœur a few steps away at the top of the hill, this small museum is a treasure trove of information and visual history about Montmartre, the area's struggling artists, and creative thinkers, in a bucolic and fascinating setting. 
One of the three garden areas surrounding the main building of the museum
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)

The museum currently comprises three small buildings and a garden with plans to open a newly renovated wing in 2014 to double the present exhibition area. The main three story building, which was built in 1680 for one of Moliere’s principal actors, Claude de la Roze as a family home, now houses the exhibitions of paintings, posters and artifacts. From the 19th century these rooms were rented inexpensively to poor artists and others - some wanted to live near the excitement of the new cabarets and bars, some wanted to join friends to help protect Montmartre's unique history and culture.


A second floor room of the museum (Photo by Jo Tomalin)
The museum collections show and tell the general history of Montmartre.  Images show its original rural setting with gypsum mines and hills of vineyards, the Siege of Paris in 1870, through to the times of the famous Montmartre cabarets – the Moulin Rouge and Le Chat Noir. Notations also mention the "golden age" of the bohemians and artists in Montmartre. 






Room of the museum with Cabaret video, photos and posters
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)




Examples of such artists and bohemians who lived in Montmartre are Camille Pisarro, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Jarry, Modigliani, Henri Matisse, Edgar Degas, Erik Satie, Toulouse-Lautrec, Maurice Utrillo, Raoul Dufy, Suzanne Valadon, and illustrator Francisque Poulbot.  






One of the most significant reasons to visit this Montmartre museum is to breathe in the air and to experience the ambiance of the famous 19th century artists who painted in the studios of the two smaller buildings of the museum grounds - Renoir, Utrillo, Valadon, Dufy, and later, many lesser known artists. These two buildings are now used by the administration and conservation offices, reception and gift shop.


Auguste Renoir painted the large canvas Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (Bal du moulin de la Galette) in 1876 in the long gone stables of one of the buildings.  

The swing in the museum garden (Photo by Jo Tomalin)
 
Renoir also painted The Swing (La Balançoire) in 1876, inspired by the swing in this garden at the time. Now a newer but similar swing hangs from the same tree. Renoir's paintings and many others by artists of the time are often on view at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.


Utrillo's and Valadon's Studio (Photo by Jo Tomalin)
For visitors interested in the lives of artists the jewel in this museum is certainly held in the other small building: This is the artist studio area, where renowned artists Maurice Utrillo and his mother Suzanne Valadon lived and painted. The studio is gloriously light-filled on the top floor. However, you can only see the studio from the outside - look up at the end of the building for the huge windows and glass roof.  At present Utrillo's and Valadon's studio is closed to the public but there are tentative plans to renovate and open it in the future. Let's hope this happens!


A very interesting video about Utrillo “Maurice Utrillo, Folie?” by Jean Fabris was playing (in French) continuously in a tiny room of the museum on my visit, which is worth watching to discover Utrillo’s challenging journey as an artist and his impressive body of work. Also, there was a glimpse of Utrillo's studio in the video, which was wonderful to see.


View across vineyard and Lapin Agile Cabaret and Bar lower down
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)

As you go up and down the winding stairs to each floor, look out of the windows - every view from the museum is wonderful and overlooks the gardens, or the sole remaining vineyard in Montmartre next door with the “Lapin Agile”  at the end of the field, down the hill. This is a well-known cabaret and bar where artists Picasso, Modigliani and Toulouse-Lautrec, the poet Apollinaire and actor/director Charles Dullin hung out...plus many other artists of the times - and the cabaret show and bar is still open for business!


The museum's own chat noir - black cat! 
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)

This little museum and garden offers a welcome respite from the crowds to experience an hour or so of life in Montmartre during its "golden age" of struggling artists and bohemians. If you don’t already know this museum, put it on your list for the next trip to Paris. The price of admission included an audio guide – available in various languages, including English - and some notes in the museum were in English, too. Look on the museum website (french version only available at this time) for their upcoming exhibitions, events, updated hours and location.

  

Musée de Montmartre
(Photo by Jo Tomalin)

More information:

Musée de Montmartre
12 rue Cortot
75018 Paris
Telephone 01 49 25 89 37 or 01 49 25 89 39

Open Daily 10am to 6pm
Ticket Prices (June 2012):
Adults: 8 Euros ($10) 
Students Age 18 - 25: 6 Euros
Youths Age 10 - 17: 4 Euros 
Children under 10 free.

Website: Musée de Montmartre
http://www.museedemontmartre.fr/
http://www.museedemontmartre.fr/pratique.html

Musée d'Orsay
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html?cHash=1030a57d48

Lapin Agile

Jo Tomalin Ph.D. 


Friday, June 22, 2012   home top of page more