Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso (French edition) | Gallimard

Cafés, bistros, and cabarets, more than any other urban space, constitute the heart of our civilization. These iconic places embody a certain way of being in the world, where culture, art, and society intertwine. For centuries, they have been the refuge and playground for artists and writers, who found inspiration and expression there.

The book "Bistrot! From Baudelaire to Picasso" is a fascinating dive into this universe, through the eyes of major figures in art and literature. Baudelaire, Aragon, Manet, Picasso, Forain, Otto Dix, Masson, and the young Rothko are among the artists who immortalized these spaces in their works, transforming them into cultural symbols.

The exhibition at the Cité du Vin, which inspired this book, navigates between Europe and the United States, juxtaposing painting with photography, cinema, and literature. It decisively moves away from the classic narratives of modernity to establish the essential role of these meeting spaces in creation and Western society.

The history of these places begins well before the 1860s-1870s, but it is during this period that the theme truly explodes, as it met the expectations of the generation influenced by Baudelaire. Cubism and Surrealism in the 20th century are just two of the many artistic movements that seized the subject, revealing the dreamlike quality these spaces represented for artists.

This book explores a wide range of situations that the café hosts and stimulates: from the solitary drinker to the scene of flirting, from melancholic withdrawal to identity affirmation, from male exclusivity to female assertion. Each featured work questions what the artists sought to express through these places and invites the reader to introspection.

Rich with a hundred works, Bistrot! From Baudelaire to Picasso is a vibrant tribute to these spaces that have played a crucial role in the cultural history of the West. It is an invitation to rediscover the café from another perspective, as a space of creation, encounter, and reflection.

Additional Information:

• Format: Paperback
• EAN13: 9782072708060
• ISBN: 978-2-07-270806-0
• Publisher: Gallimard
• Publication Date: 03/16/2017
• Collection: Art Books
• Number of pages: 160
• Dimensions: 28 x 28 cm
• Weight: 752 g
• Language: French