Bohèmes

Really innovative exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris looking at the tradition of Bohemians in art in all their forms.

The first half of the exhibition on the ground floor looked at the history of gypsies and arts image of them. The first non-literary record is from 1421 and the name Bohemians was given to them as a king of Bohemia gave them free passage through the country.

One angel of the way gypsies were portrayed was as chaste and angelic and often the Holy Family on the flight from Pilot were seen as like gypsies on the road. However in contrast to this they were also seen as sensual and tempting with their role as fortune tellers being increasingly depicted in the 17th century.

There were wonderful pictures of gypsies as entertainers including the craze for gypsy orchestras in the 19th century. All ground floor had a brown carpet with the dusty footprints of travellers on it.

The second floor looked at how young people in the arts and politic in the 19th century started to see themselves as rejecting the norm and being Bohemian. It began with wonderful decaying rooms with paper peeling off the walls which you entered via a large photo of Paris slums.

This was followed by a room looking at the artist’s studio with painting of studios shown on easels. There was also a lovely section on the opera La Boheme and the book it was based on including original costume and set designs.

At the end it moved to Montmartre and looked at the role of cafes with one stunning room of pictures set out as a bar/café with tables and chairs but ended sadly and sharply returning to look at the gypsy population again and the effect of the holocaust on them.  

There were some lovely works in this exhibition but it’s real strength lay in telling two interweaving stories in a really innovative way with the displays being every bit as exciting as the art.

Review
Telegraph

 
 

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