Montmartre and the Making of Mass Culture

by Raymond Anthony Jonas (Contributor), Karal Ann Marling (Foreword)

Located on the fringes of Paris, Montmartre attracted artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Steinlen, and Jules Chéret. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the artists in the quarter began to create works blurring the boundaries between fine art and popular illustration, the artist and the audience, as well as class and gender distinctions. The creative expression that ensued was an exuberant mix of high and low-a breeding ground for what is today termed popular culture. The carefully interlocked essays in Montmartre and the Making of Mass Culture demonstrate how and why this quarter was at the forefront of such innovation. The contributors bring an unprecedented range of approaches to the topic, from political and religious history to art historical investigations and literary analysis of texts. This project is the first of its kind to examine fully Montmartre's many contributions to the creation of a mass culture that reigned supreme in the twentieth century.

Genres: Art History

Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lyle Deixler]

A great look at Paris' bohemian capital in the late 1800s and its cabarets, art and music scenes and their lasting impact on popular culture.