Kiki de Montparnasse (1901-1953) inspired Man Ray and many other painters, photographers and sculptors. An artist herself, she impressed critics with her paintings and made waves with her risqué memoirs. She was a dazzling socialite and style icon, a true “it-girl” of Bohemian Paris.
Kiki de Montparnasse (1901-1953) inspired Man Ray and many other painters, photographers and sculptors. An artist herself, she impressed critics with her paintings and made waves with her risqué memoirs. She was a dazzling socialite and style icon, a true “it-girl” of Bohemian Paris.
This month, we’re talking about muses–women who were drivers of creativity and inspiration. Once again, we’re proud to partner with Mercedes-Benz (whose famous namesake was inspired by a young muse named Mercedes). Tune in daily for stories of women whose lives inspired work that has shaped our culture.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan. This is Womanica.
This month, we're talking about muses -- women who were drivers of creativity and inspiration.
Today, we’re talking about the woman who inspired Man Ray and many other painters, photographers and sculptors. An artist herself, she impressed critics with her paintings and made waves with her risqué memoirs. She was a dazzling socialite and style icon, a true “it-girl” of Bohemian Paris.
Meet Kiki de Montparnasse.
Kiki de Montparnasse was born Alice Prin in 1901 in the Burgundy region of France. Kiki’s father wasn’t in her life. Her mother moved to Paris when she was young, leaving Kiki with her grandmother.
Kiki went to school for only a year before she dropped out. She worked a series of menial jobs until the age of 12, when she caught a train to Paris to reunite with her mother.
Kiki started work as a model as a teenager, posing nude for a sculptor. Her mother disowned her for what she saw as a lewd profession, leaving Kiki broke and homeless. But her modeling work — plus dishwashing jobs — kept her afloat.
Artists liked Kiki’s striking features — the contrast created by her porcelain skin and dark hair. The poet John Glassco wrote, “Her face was beautiful from every angle, but I liked it best in full profile, when it had the lineal purity of a stuffed salmon."
Kiki also took pride in her appearance and loved to experiment with her style. She didn’t have the money to spend on expensive beauty products. So, she sometimes crushed fake geranium petals to color her cheeks and lined her eyes with burnt matchsticks.
Kiki’s charisma and quick-witted jokes made it easy for her to make friends with the many artists living in Paris’s Montparnasse neighborhood. Soon, her social circle included Maurice Utrillo, Jean Cocteau, and Modigliani. The Polish painter Maurice Mendjisky gave her the iconic title: “Queen of Montparnasse.”
Kiki met the artist Man Ray in 1921 and she became one of his regular models. They also began a love affair that lasted for most of the decade. Kiki famously appears in Man Ray’s Surrealist photograph “Ingres’s Violin,” with her naked back painted and posed to resemble the instrument.
Kiki also appeared in Man Ray’s film “Return to Reason,” which may have prompted her short-lived ambition to become an actress. In 1923, she traveled to New York for a few months to try to make a name for herself in film. But on the day of her screen test for Paramount, she didn’t show.
Kiki later said, “It's for the best…It's much nicer to go to the movies than to make them."
Kiki returned to Paris, where she continued her work as a model. She was also honing her own talents as a painter. In 1927, she had her first exhibition at a gallery in Paris. The New Yorker’s review of the show said Kiki’s painting created an “impression of simplicity, faith, and tenderness.”
A few years later, she published a memoir, featuring tales from her childhood and her adventures as part of Paris’s Bohemian culture.
Kiki’s writing revealed her lively personality and uncomplicated outlook on life. She wrote, “All I need in life is an onion, a bit of bread and a bottle of red wine, and I'll always find someone to give me that.”
Ernest Hemmingway, one of Kiki’s friends, wrote the introduction for the English translation in 1930. He wrote, “For about ten years she was about as close as people get nowadays to being a Queen — but that, of course, is very different from being a lady.”
The book also included stories about the sexually open and sociable young Parisian women — a controversial subject at the time. The United States Customs banned Kiki’s memoir from entering the country. And it wasn’t officially published in the U.S. until 1996.
As Kiki grew older, she continued to serve as muse for the artists in her Paris social circle. She dabbled in music, performing in cabaret shows in Paris nightclubs. In the 1930s and 40s, she even recorded some of her songs. .
Near the end of her life, Kiki began to drink heavily and use cocaine, which led to a sharp decline in her health. She died in 1953 after collapsing outside of her Paris apartment. She was 51. Her title “Queen of Montparnasse” was immortalized on her gravestone.
All month, we’re highlighting muses. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!