and today it is very much back to the 1920s, les annees folles and modernes:
I mean where else would one find a ‘street art’ portrait of artist Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1886-1968), one of the characters of inter-war Montparnasse life?
My main mission though was to be ‘on the trail’ of Nancy Cunard,
finding not only her flat at 2, rue de la Regrattier, overlooking the Seine and Notre Dame (amazing to see the ongoing restoration work)
but also the site of her Hours Press shop at 15, rue Guenegard:
Then on to the most extraordinary exhibition: “Les Cercles de la Baronne” at Galerie La Minotaure.
The eponymous la Baronne was Hélène d’Œttingen (1887-1950), whose story is little known and yet, as the painter François Angiboult, she was a heartbeat of the modern art movement in Paris that included Nina Hamnett’s friend, the brilliant artist Marie Vassilieff (1884-1857) who designed numerous puppets, shown at the exhibition.
All very exciting indeed… more to come!
thecommonviewer 