Perhaps you’ve heard of Paul Éluard. Avenue Paul Éluard is named in his honor. It sits between the Goutte d’Or and Chapelle areas. This is in Paris’s 18th arrondissement.
Paul Éluard was not always his name. Born Eugène Grindel, he became a famous French poet. He helped start the Surrealist movement. Éluard was also a key lyrical poet of the 20th century.
The Avenue Paul Éluard meets several streets. Rue Ordener, Rue de la Chapelle, Rue Riquet, and Rue Marx-Dormoy all converge here. Getting here is easy. Take Metro line 12 to Marx Dormoy station. The station drops you right here.
Éluard lived from 1895 to 1952. He met other Surrealist poets in 1919. These included André Breton, Philippe Soupault, and Louis Aragon. They worked together until 1938. Éluard experimented with words. He explored dreams and reality. This led to his first big work, “Capital of Sorrow” in 1926. Other works followed. “The Public Rose” and “The Fertile Eyes” are among his best. With Breton, he also studied mental disorders. Their work was called “L’Immaculée Conception”.
After the Spanish Civil War, Éluard changed. He became more political. His poetry showed his rejection of tyranny. He also searched for happiness. Éluard joined the Communist Party in 1942. He wrote about suffering and brotherhood. These poems boosted the French Resistance during World War II.
After the war, Éluard’s poetry became simpler. He used vivid images. This added to French lyrical poetry. Paul Éluard was also an art collector. He collected African, Oceanic, and modern art. He bought art when he could. He sold it when he needed money.
Éluard bought Cubist works. He did this at sales from the Galerie Kahnweiler. These sales were organized by the French government. His collection included works by Picasso, Braques, and Gris. His wife Gala managed a sale in 1924. This sale funded a trip to meet Éluard in Vietnam.
Later, Éluard inherited money. This allowed him to expand his art collection. However, bad investments ruined him. He also separated from Gala. In 1931, he sold many African and Oceanic sculptures. During World War II, Picasso helped Éluard. He gave him art to sell.
Avenue Paul Éluard was created in 1982. It was named after the poet. Nearby, you can find the Nusch Éluard garden. There is also the Chapelle International district. You might also visit the Square de la Madone. Don’t forget the Rosa-Luxemburg gardens.
Paul Éluard died in 1952. Today, Avenue Paul Éluard stands as a tribute. It honors a poet. He touched many with his words and his life.