September 25, 2012

Bohèmes

The Grand Palais in Paris is opening an intriguing new show called Bohemias, which explores the modern myth of the Bohemian, a figure who can be found in songs, films, and poems. 

The figure of the Bohemian first appeared in the mid-19th century, between Romanticism and Realism, at a time when the artist’s status was undergoing a profound transformation. Soon, the Bohemian lifestyle became immensely popular, running through the collective imagination and linking Paris indissolubly with the Latin Quarter and Montmartre.

Journeying through four centuries and some 15 themes, Bohemias sheds light on a phenomenon which traverses the history of art and society from da Vinci to Picasso and still resonates in our contemporary world.