At the turn of the 20th century, artists were flocking in droves to Montmartre, the bohemian district of Paris where the rents were cheap, the wine was overflowing and the paintbrushes never dried. Some gave up their countries to reach this artistic Mecca, including Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and Piet Mondrian.
Montmartre, with its iconic Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Heart) church, was not only the place where ideas and creativity were flourishing, where the avant-garde had its main residence, but it was also a constant source of inspiration for hungry artists, with its architecture, liveliness, busy nightlife and the very colorful and eccentric people it was collecting. The neighborhood had stories to tell and the painters were eager to give them voice.
As the son of the French painter Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo had lived in Montmartre for much of his life, depicting his surroundings frequently in his solitary cityscapes. By 1937, Utrillo had moved to the outskirts of Paris and his ill mental health and alcoholism were preventing him from painting outdoors or getting around that much. Nevertheless, he continued doing his urban landscapes, drawing inspiration from postcards and his lifetime of memories of the place he called home.
It is thus believed that Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre, and the rue Saint-Rustique was painted from memory. This quiet winter scene with the narrow street of Saint-Rustique and the towering Sacré-Coeur in the background combines the geometry of the buildings with loose, free brushstrokes. The lack of people – there are only two distant figures – and the bright whiteness of the landscape invite you for a solitary, meditative stroll through a snowy Montmartre. Who knows, you might run into someone you know…
artschaft 
very interesting use of whites and greys together… i’m gonna try something like this …thank you …
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There’s something very comforting about the brightness of the snow and the church dome. As if it’s captured at a quiet moment in time, before crowds of people muddy the street as they go on with their day.
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agreed; it conveys something peaceful. Thanks for your likes/comments on my blog it means alot.
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Thanks for stopping by too. I really appreciate your input.
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How fabulous you wrote “At the turn of the 20th century, artists were flocking in droves to Montmartre, the bohemian district of Paris where the rents were cheap, the wine was overflowing and the paintbrushes never dried.”
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I like the way you described Montmartre in those days!
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Thank you! I’m a bit of a Francophile. If I could travel back in time, that’s where I would go… Paris, 1910 – 1920s.
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Yeah! Me, too.
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I love the grey sky and how it contrasts with the dome of Sacre Coeur. Monmatre still feels exciting – I think its the hill and the wonderful views across Paris.
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I like the contrast too, it makes the white so much brighter. How lucky was Utrillo to have lived there, at that moment in time.
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I know what you mean but I dont expect he felt lucky, with his descent into alcoholism, and all!
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He was indeed a troubled soul. I tried to find out more about his mental illness, but couldn’t find anything specific. I’m guessing he was severely depressed… in and out of asylums.
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Alcoholism is a form of mental illness in itself and if you drink enough you can cause serious brain damage and end up with permanent psychosis (I dont know if this happened to Utrillo)
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See, I never looked at alcoholism like that, but it makes sense. Toulouse-Lautrec was an alcoholic too, so maybe Montmartre wasn’t the perfect place after all. One can be miserable in paradise too.
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If they were alcoholics they would have been miserable where ever they were. At least they painted beautiful paintings of where they were.
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