Café Momus

Romanticism Value individual experience and private life over public responsibility and concerns The world of Balzac, Murger, even Baudelairewith his self- indulgence with drugs, alcohol, prostitutes

Baudelaire as Transitional Figure Moves toward symbolism in poetryuse of metaphorthe halo Much of his poetry resembles dream seqences or hallucinations Constantly in search of a self, recognizing it is never stable Detested Bohemia, though drawn to it

Gender and Self Much of Baudelaires world male But fascinated with prostitutes Spent many years with mulatto mistressJeanne Duval

Manet Olympia

Gustave Courbet

Edgar Allen Poe Drunkedness key to his writing Baudelaire obsessed with Poes drunkedness – his escape from modern life –Drunk with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue as you please, but get drunk. –Necessity of the evaporation of selfinto crowds, into nature, into causes, into other people, into states of natural or induced reveriefor artistic creativity

Courbet at the Brasserie Andler

Absinthe DrinkersBrasserie des Martyrs

Goncourt Brothers – Critique of Bohemia Brasserie des Martyrsfull of gossipmongers No idea, no party, no banner waved Only thing that mattered was hunger for the franc

Dangers of Modern Life Modern commercialization and publicity everything has a price Pitfalls created by modern womanhood lesbians, prostitutesshaped by a culture that does not protect people from their own animal natures –How new is this?

Anti-Semitism Evolution and fear of evolving backwards degeneration Need for community in modern life –Jews related to individualism, democratization of life –Disrupted social unity and cultural solidarity –Led to the fragmentation of modern life

Emile Goudeau

Fumisme Disdain for everything Inner spite against everything Outward manifestation: practical jokes, farces Refusal to treat real world seriously New form of blague Ordinary life became theatre Bohemia becomes site of publicity

What Made Montmartre/Bohemia Work? Rise of literacy – free, public, and compulsory school throughout France Spread of new cheap illustrated press New kinds of politics – MacMahon Affair, Boulanger Affair –Politics made with commodities, images Advertising of store expanded demand for goods –Also expanded demand for artists Chat Noir: Adolphe Willette and Theodore Steinlen Cafes/Cabarets Center of Discussion Creation of Mass Audiences with Mass Culture

The Automobile