Montmartre

ONCE a suburb of Paris, now continuous with of the city itself, the hill (or "butte") of Montmartre is rich in the gypsum from which plaster of Paris is made.

It is thought to be named the "Mount of Martyrs" in commemoration of the martyrdom of Saint Denis, first bishop of Paris, and his deacons Saints Rusticus and Eleutherius in the third century. It is also possible that the name refers to unknown martyrs buried at the summit of the hill.

From before the Revolution, rustic Montmartre was infamous for its dangerous taverns - at some of which it was reputed that unwanted daughters could be sold to the wealthy, who had country pleasure houses in the vicinity.

To counteract the neighborhood's earned reputation for disorderliness and loose living, the great basilica of Notre-Dame du Sacré-C oeur was built. Inaugurated in 1891, it remains a popular spot, especially at sunset, when locals and tourists watch the lighting of the city below from the steps. Fortunately, the presence of the basilica did not put an end to night life. The cafés, dance halls, and studios of Montmartre have been immortalized by painters from Toulouse-Lautrec to Picasso.

In 1882, when Lautrec went to work at Léon Bonnat's atelier (studio) at the bottom of the hill, Montmartre retained its bad reputation and licentious character. On the dirt paths surrounding the scaffolding of the half-built Sacré-Coeur, destitute, often homeless pierreuses (streetwalkers) offered themselves to passersby. The butte was still a haven for the poorest, most marginal members of society. All along the wide boulevards at the foot of the hill, a series of dubious nightclubs sprang up, and as their reputation for wildness and bohemianism spread, they began to attract visitors from the rest of Paris—slumming aristocrats, demi-mondaines, bourgeois tourists.

Students at the many ateliers were encouraged to sketch models in their everyday environments. Lautrec used this as an excuse to begin visiting the bars and dance halls with friends, his sketchbook at the ready. Although he told his family he went out of professional necessity, he quickly developed the habit of going out every night for long evenings of barhopping that not infrequently ended in rowdiness and public scandal. In the process, he became dependent on alcohol.

He could be found nightly in the most notorious nightspots, prominently seated, often at an habitual table in the front row, drinking and sketching, joking with friends and occasionally being joined at his table by one or more of the dancers. Because of his conspicuous appearance and the frequency of his visits, he quickly became a recognized part of the passing show at such places as the Moulin Rouge, the Moulin de la Galette, the Elysée Montmartre, the Chat Noir, and Aristide Bruant's Mirliton cabaret.

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