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Kiki's Paris : Artist and Lovers 1900-1930 | 
 enlarge | Authors: Billy Kluver, Julie Martin
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 2349886
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 264
ASIN: B000C4T3L6
Publication Date: March 31, 2002
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Kiki's Paris: Artists and Lovers 1900-1930 presents a delightful evocation of the life of Alice Prin, or Kiki, and her generation in Paris--from her favorite cafes and the cramped artists' studios where she modeled to her relationships with so many of the great artists of the period. The historical and personal details culled from books, memoirs, and letters alone would constitute a fabulous biography; with the photographs--more than 650--the book is transformed into a work of art in its own right. Publisher's Weekly raves, "Kiki ... was outrageous, charming, beautiful, talented--and so is the Paris that emerges. We see ... Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Man Ray, Stein, Leger, Cocteau, Brancusi, Soutine and hundreds of others...." Kiki's Paris is a paean to the heady blossoming of an era and the height of the artists' community in Montparnasse, vividly woven from the fragile strands of time. It is impossible to walk away from this book unaffected: even Paris-phobes will swoon under the influence of such intoxicating nostalgia. --Jhana Bach
Book Description
"A lavish, information-packed look at the people and places of an important, exciting era in art history."—Publishers Weekly From 1900 to 1930, Montparnasse was the center of artistic life for the whole world. Now this major contribution to the social and cultural history of the period—with its informative text and hundreds of photographs—is available in paperback once again. As The Washington Post said, Kiki's Paris "celebrates the people who made the modern movement in art, music and literature, most of whom were friends or lovers of Kiki, the woman Hemingway called 'The Queen of Montparnasse.'"
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
Photo Album of Paris's Legendary Turn-of-the Century "Camelot of Art" October 24, 2007
New information is always one of the factors I like to glean from a non-fiction book. Sometimes the new material is major, sometimes minor. I immediately liked this book because I found a tiny bit of information that I've been curious about for years. A famous unsung, middle-class patron of many of the world's great artists who resided in Montparnasse ran a "Cremerie" directly across the street from Academie Colarossi Art School. The tiny cafe was described in numerous biographies but the shop owner was always described simply as "Madame Charlotte." I'd done a little research trying to discover more about this fascinating businesswoman whose building was stuffed with artworks and who loaned money to Gauguin so he could travel to the South Seas, but was unable to find her last name. It seemed to have been lost to history. On page 22 of this book the mystery was solved. She was identified as "Madame Charlotte Caron." That discovery immediately led me to buy this book that is chuck full of interesting biographies as well as more than 700 photographs of the artists described and their work as well as information about the people around this legendary Roaring Twenties artist's community. This encyclopedia of information is tied together by featuring Kiki (Alice Prin) at various points. It could have been tied together by using anyone of several artists who were such an integral part of the "Camelot of Paris Art." Picasso or Man Ray would have done equally as well, but neither of them was French or as sexy to look at in the nude.
This book is well worth reading. In many ways, it's like looking at a personal photo album with really good captions explaining the pictures and the people in them. Unlike most personal photo albums this one includes pictures of the "underside" of Paris along with pictures of its residents dressed and undressed. The residents apparently loved to party as demonstrated by the huge number of masked balls and other wild parties shown in picture after picture. This book is extra interesting because of the informal portraits of so many famous artists at work and definitely at play. With snapshots of the smoky world of the cafes, the brothels, the art schools, and the hedonistic picnics, the book makes that by-gone era live again. Kiki, with her cabaret dancing, nude modeling, infamous lovemaking and bubbling personality was the very personification of the hedonistic age that produced creativity the likes of which the world has seldom witnessed. She makes a perfect sexy trunk and limbs upon which to hang this elm tree-sized collection of colorful historic portraits.
Wonderful. July 4, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A time long gone of the parisian model for the teeming artists. Lots of great photo's and listings of the people of that time period. Puts you " there " as soon as you open the book. A timeless book of a wonderful age.
It truly was Kiki's Paris January 15, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book gives a wonderful photo journal insight into the free-spirited years of early 20th century Paris. The photos and descriptions are magnificent. This book will take you there in an instant.
A PAEAN TO HALCYON DAYS July 30, 2004
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
"KIKI'S PARIS: Artist and Lovers 1900-1930" faithfully evokes the era when Paris served as the nexus for the flowering of artistic movements as diverse as cubism, fauvism, futurism, and dadaism. Each photograph tells a rich story of the personalities and the city that shaped and inspired them.
This is a book that you'll want to read and re-read again and again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
A good social history April 21, 2004
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
This book gives both an excellent pictorial and verbal description of the evolution of the artistic life in bohemian Paris in the early twentieth century. Well researched and written, it brings the ongoing revolution in art (what defines art?) as well as society (the role of classes, women, etc) into both clear focus and understanding. The pictures are both numerous and superb and gives the book a real 'you are there' sense as well. The wealth of detail is sometimes almost overwhelming in fact. An very readable and enjoyable book!!
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