Gabrielle, suffocating in the closed milieu of Lyon’s silk manufacturers, left Lyon after her father’s death to settle in Paris, determined to become a painter. In 1920, the capital was bustling with cafés, balls, brothels and cabarets, creating an effervescent atmosphere. Mingling with the cosmopolitan society of artists in Montparnasse, she discovered a freer life and more risky love affairs. However, faced with the threat of a family scandal, her family decides to intervene.
Une saison à Montparnasse is a captivating immersion in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, and the portrait of an emancipated woman whose audacity is ultimately rewarded.
Rendezvous in the Montparnasse district in the late ‘20s
This is a captivating story that begins in the silk industry in Lyon. Gabrielle, an art enthusiast, leaves to her brothers the inheritance and management of the family business to pursue her dream of becoming a painter. Unable to live up to her wealthy family’s expectations, she moved to Paris to study painting and settle in Montparnasse.
At that time, Montparnasse was the beating heart of Parisian artistic and intellectual life. The district had become a mecca for arts, with cafés serving as meeting points for artists, writers and intellectuals from all over the world, bubbling with creativity and cultural effervescence. Gabrielle, our protagonist, moves there to study painting. Coming from a bourgeois Lyonnais background, she relishes her newfound freedom and independence. There, she blossomed and progressed in her art, surrounded by artists of the ‘30s and leading a happy, carefree life, far from family constraints. She also discovered love with Marcelle, a young artist she met in Paris. Although the homosexual community lived relatively peacefully in Montparnasse, French society still considered the subject a taboo. “And then we were in Montparnasse, where nothing seemed to matter. Life was as light, as bubbly as the champagne Gabrielle had become dangerously accustomed to, now devoting as much energy to studying painting as to giddiness.”1
Gabrielle rubs shoulders with painters and artists, and her life in Montparnasse is described in great detail, immersing us in this unique historical universe. Painting, a fascinating subject, is at the heart of the story, and following Gabrielle in her quest to become a recognised artist is fascinating. The author perfectly depicts the vibrant atmosphere of the period in this dynamic neighbourhood, which quickly gained the status of a major artistic centre.
From freedom to imprisonment: Gabrielle’s struggle
Unfortunately, Gabrielle’s dissolute lifestyle reaches the ears of her two conservative brothers, who are worried about the family’s reputation. They decide to take radical action. Unable to tolerate her lifestyle, at the age of 32 they place her in a psychiatric institution in Switzerland to try and “cure her of her perversions”. The story moves from happy times in Paris, with the hustle and bustle of Montparnasse, to confinement in a psychiatric institution. Despite the ill-treatment, Gabrielle, with her strong character, manages to endure. The summary of the novel says nothing about this, so I’ll leave you to discover the details by reading Une saison à Montparnasse.
Through the character of Gabrielle, the plot reminds us that it will take many decades for society to accept LGBTQ+ people, and to cease treating them like deviants. Her internment in a psychiatric institution by her own family, on the pretext of protecting family honour, highlights the rigidity of social norms and societal intolerance of that time. Gabrielle, who initially finds refuge and freedom in Montparnasse, a neighbourhood bubbling with creativity and diversity, is brutally torn away from this dynamic and inclusive life. Her forced confinement illustrates not only social prejudice against artists and independent women, but also the harsh condemnation of all forms of diversity in sexual identity.
So beyond the jovial, almost regressive feel of Montmartre, this is also a story of strength of character, self-acceptance and the struggle against rigid societal codes.
Conclusion
In Une saison à Montparnasse, the author tackles various themes such as family conflicts, art, forgeries and art smuggling, plunging us into the parallel world of fraud. He describes how and where a fake painting could be sold in those days, particularly after the stock market crash of October 1929, which saw many investors and companies go bankrupt, making investment in art a safe haven. Colin Thibert’s rich, captivating writing keeps the reader’s interest with timely twists and turns. The historical context enriches the story, and the characters are engaging and well described. Gabrielle, determined and passionate, defends her non-traditional values and aspires to make a living from her passion for painting. This story highlights the slow evolution of mentalities and reminds us of the importance of continuing to fight for a fairer, more inclusive society.
Une saison à Montparnasse, Colin Thibert, 2024
Translated by Gabriel Capitolo
| ↑1 | Free GROW translation from the original: « Et puis, on était à Montparnasse, où rien ne semblait porter à conséquence. La vie était aussi légère, aussi pétillante que le champagne dont Gabrielle prenait dangereusement l’habitude, consacrant désormais autant d’énergie à étudier la peinture qu’à s’étourdir. » |
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