Number 49 Rue Gabrielle. A seemingly unassuming address. Yet within its walls lies a piece of art history. This is where Pablo Picasso first set up his Parisian studio.
Imagine young Picasso arriving in 1900. He was only 19. His friend Carlos Casagemas was with him. They had come for the World Fair. A spectacular event. Millions of visitors. A brand-new metro line. Giant Art Nouveau pavilions. Even a palace of electricity that powered a moving pavement. It was the dawn of a new era.
Picasso however faced hardship. He and Casagemas lived in this very building at 49 Rue Gabrielle. They experienced artistic exploration and dire poverty. Picasso refused to draw for magazines. He painted instead. He began his famous Blue Period here. He painted his version of the Moulin de la Galette from this studio. This painting reflected his fascination with Parisian nights and the decadence of Montmartre’s dance halls.
Tragedy struck the following year. Casagemas committed suicide after a woman rejected him. This devastating event deeply affected Picasso. He continued painting. His work reflected his grief. His paintings were infused with the emotional muted blues of his Blue Period. Picasso’s first Parisian studio was a place of creativity and profound loss.
Thanks to a contact in the Spanish community Berthe Weill saw Picasso’s work. She was the first modern art gallery owner in Paris. A remarkable woman in a male-dominated world. She was the first to showcase Picasso’s paintings. His Moulin de la Galette found its first buyer through her. Another Absinthe Drinker by Picasso painted in 1901 in Casagemas’ studio is a testament to their friendship. You can see it today at the Musée d’Orsay. The recurring theme of absinthe drinkers among Montmartre artists is a captivating reminder of a bygone era.
Years later Jules Pascin another artist occupied the studio at 49 Rue Gabrielle. But the building retains its significance. It remains a silent witness to Picasso’s early struggles and his triumphs in Paris. A place where the ghost of the artist’s early years still lingers. A modest building with a remarkable legacy. This is 49 Rue Gabrielle. A place where art history began.