Introducing: École de Paris

École de Paris describes the diverse styles of Modernist art that proliferated in the French capital in the years between 1900 and the outbreak of World War II. By the end of the 19th century, the impact of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism had established Paris as a hub of dynamic creativity, attracting painters and sculptors from around the globe. ‘School of Paris’ had originally been coined in 1925 by André Warnod to single out the foreign artists that had flocked into the city. However, it now refers very broadly to the numerous avant-garde movements that flourished there, including Cubism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Surrealism and Expressionism. Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Chaïm Soutine, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and Girgio de Chirico were some of its most prominent figures. Initially many took studios within the bohemian district of Montmartre, but Montparnasse had become a more popular choice by 1920, thanks to its network of cafes, galleries and dealers. The start of war in 1939 drove many artists to return to their countries of birth, whilst others chose America. Indeed, by around 1950, New York had replaced Paris as the capital of the art world.