Bohemianism
From hippies to the beat generation, counterculture values can be seen in all aspects of life including music, literature, and politics. But though these American countercultures are quite unique, they shared an inspiration that came from the French bohemia. The close knit group of poverty stricken Parisian artist and writers unknowingly had one of the largest impacts on society in the modern era; they were the group that future subcultures would look to for inspiration. The bohemian lifestyle that was filled with freedom and romance lured in future patrons that would lead some of the most influential contemporary antiestablishment movements.
The word Bohemian stems from the French word for gypsy boheiens, and in fact the gypsy life is where bohemianism began . The gypsies “merry poverty” (Hopf, Courtney) and desire for music and romance created a muse for the post-revolutionary youths of France. Though, many see bohemians and gypsies as interchangeable the similarities stop at motivation, gypsies and bohemians shared different social ideals and cultures and just because gypsy life inspired the bohemians they worked with different goals in mind. The epicenter of bohemian life soon became the Latin Quarter off the left bank of the Seine River in Paris. The location of Paris was detrimental in the establishment of bohemianism, the city had the perfect mix of romance, culture and a bourgeois for bohemians to object. Victor Hugo and Henry Murger both claimed that without Paris bohemianism would have never formed in the way that it did. The streets of the Latin Quarter were filled with bourgeois youths who rejected their upbringing and instead decided to live the life of the starving artist. “First generation bohemians were predominantly bourgeois youths on their own in Paris, trying out an independent, artistic life for the first time. For them Bohemianism was a prolonged adolescence…” (Hopf, Courtney) Their nights would be spent living in the attics of old buildings, dancing and writing the nights away with likeminded folks. But, the Bohemian life was not all night filled with absinthe fuelled ecstasy and the romance of simple living, it was not uncommon for Bohemians to starve or die of sicknesses caused by poor conditions. The influential writer and epitome Bohemianism Henry Murger, once said (of his friends) “they spent half their day not eating, and the other half in dyeing from cold.” (Burns, Jim) Though it had its hardships, Bohemianism hit its peak after Murger, inspired by his own life, wrote the novel Scenes de la Vie de Boheme. The novel brought the bohemian lifestyle into the homes of the bourgeois, inspiring more and more to delve into the world of bohemia. Up until World War One Bohemianism flourished in Paris, many expected the movement to die out but instead it transferred and took new forms around the world.
Just as the Bohemians had looked at the Gypsies for inspirations, across the pacific writers such as Walt Whitman, Willa Cather, and Theodore Dreiser started mentioning and supporting some of the romantic ideals of bohemianism. Blossoming in Greenwich Village, New York, Bohemianism was reborn in America a multitude of times. One of the earliest stages of America bohemianism was in the cinema. The bohemian woman became the archetype for the exotic femme fatal, a temptress who would woe any patron with her eastern ways (Esquevin, Christian). The decadence of gypsy and bohemian fashion bleed from the movies into the mainstream and many of 1920’s flappers drew inspiration from the exotic style of the bohemians. One of the most impactful Bohemian generations was the Beat generation. Referred to as beatniks by the general public; much like the French Bohemians, Cafes and urban squalor was the desired environment for beatnik culture. The beats became the new American gypsies as they backpacked across America, whether it be for enjoyment or spiritual reasons. Jack Kerouac spoke of this wanderlust in his book On the Road he stated, “I was surprised, as always, be how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.” In this you can see the bohemian views of against materialism and the idea freeing yourself to experience all of the world’s glory. With an opposition of the conventional lifestyle and a fascination for eastern spirituality, bohemian inspiration can be seen all throughout the beat generation.
The beat generation ended up leading to an even larger countercultures, whose fame surpassed French bohemia and arguably all prior modern countercultures. The Hippie movement soon became interchangeable with the word bohemian, the new bohemia mimicked the old, both the background and behavior was the same (Richardson, Joanne. The Bohemians). Like the bohemians, young hippies left their middle class life of leisure to pursue more radical goals. While the French bohemians used literature as their way to convey ideas, the hippies choose to use music to express their beliefs. They both rebelled as they saw that they could do more for society through art and philosophy than they ever could through conventional jobs . (Hopf, Courtney) Lastly, the hippies clothing was a statement against the rest of society much like it had been for the bohemians. Hippies actually used brightly colored clothing with intricate fabrics as a way to mimic the bohemian and gypsy lifestyle they romanticized.
Though they were not the first counterculture in history and will certainly not be the last, the bohemians have had unique impacts of 19th and 20th century Europe and America. Especially in America, our most famous subcultures and countercultures seem to have all drawn inspiration from the bohemians. The starving artist of bohemian France could have never know of the impact they had on the world, their desire to find romance in all of life has yet to die and continues to live on through counterculture youths.
From hippies to the beat generation, counterculture values can be seen in all aspects of life including music, literature, and politics. But though these American countercultures are quite unique, they shared an inspiration that came from the French bohemia. The close knit group of poverty stricken Parisian artist and writers unknowingly had one of the largest impacts on society in the modern era; they were the group that future subcultures would look to for inspiration. The bohemian lifestyle that was filled with freedom and romance lured in future patrons that would lead some of the most influential contemporary antiestablishment movements.
The word Bohemian stems from the French word for gypsy boheiens, and in fact the gypsy life is where bohemianism began . The gypsies “merry poverty” (Hopf, Courtney) and desire for music and romance created a muse for the post-revolutionary youths of France. Though, many see bohemians and gypsies as interchangeable the similarities stop at motivation, gypsies and bohemians shared different social ideals and cultures and just because gypsy life inspired the bohemians they worked with different goals in mind. The epicenter of bohemian life soon became the Latin Quarter off the left bank of the Seine River in Paris. The location of Paris was detrimental in the establishment of bohemianism, the city had the perfect mix of romance, culture and a bourgeois for bohemians to object. Victor Hugo and Henry Murger both claimed that without Paris bohemianism would have never formed in the way that it did. The streets of the Latin Quarter were filled with bourgeois youths who rejected their upbringing and instead decided to live the life of the starving artist. “First generation bohemians were predominantly bourgeois youths on their own in Paris, trying out an independent, artistic life for the first time. For them Bohemianism was a prolonged adolescence…” (Hopf, Courtney) Their nights would be spent living in the attics of old buildings, dancing and writing the nights away with likeminded folks. But, the Bohemian life was not all night filled with absinthe fuelled ecstasy and the romance of simple living, it was not uncommon for Bohemians to starve or die of sicknesses caused by poor conditions. The influential writer and epitome Bohemianism Henry Murger, once said (of his friends) “they spent half their day not eating, and the other half in dyeing from cold.” (Burns, Jim) Though it had its hardships, Bohemianism hit its peak after Murger, inspired by his own life, wrote the novel Scenes de la Vie de Boheme. The novel brought the bohemian lifestyle into the homes of the bourgeois, inspiring more and more to delve into the world of bohemia. Up until World War One Bohemianism flourished in Paris, many expected the movement to die out but instead it transferred and took new forms around the world.
Just as the Bohemians had looked at the Gypsies for inspirations, across the pacific writers such as Walt Whitman, Willa Cather, and Theodore Dreiser started mentioning and supporting some of the romantic ideals of bohemianism. Blossoming in Greenwich Village, New York, Bohemianism was reborn in America a multitude of times. One of the earliest stages of America bohemianism was in the cinema. The bohemian woman became the archetype for the exotic femme fatal, a temptress who would woe any patron with her eastern ways (Esquevin, Christian). The decadence of gypsy and bohemian fashion bleed from the movies into the mainstream and many of 1920’s flappers drew inspiration from the exotic style of the bohemians. One of the most impactful Bohemian generations was the Beat generation. Referred to as beatniks by the general public; much like the French Bohemians, Cafes and urban squalor was the desired environment for beatnik culture. The beats became the new American gypsies as they backpacked across America, whether it be for enjoyment or spiritual reasons. Jack Kerouac spoke of this wanderlust in his book On the Road he stated, “I was surprised, as always, be how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.” In this you can see the bohemian views of against materialism and the idea freeing yourself to experience all of the world’s glory. With an opposition of the conventional lifestyle and a fascination for eastern spirituality, bohemian inspiration can be seen all throughout the beat generation.
The beat generation ended up leading to an even larger countercultures, whose fame surpassed French bohemia and arguably all prior modern countercultures. The Hippie movement soon became interchangeable with the word bohemian, the new bohemia mimicked the old, both the background and behavior was the same (Richardson, Joanne. The Bohemians). Like the bohemians, young hippies left their middle class life of leisure to pursue more radical goals. While the French bohemians used literature as their way to convey ideas, the hippies choose to use music to express their beliefs. They both rebelled as they saw that they could do more for society through art and philosophy than they ever could through conventional jobs . (Hopf, Courtney) Lastly, the hippies clothing was a statement against the rest of society much like it had been for the bohemians. Hippies actually used brightly colored clothing with intricate fabrics as a way to mimic the bohemian and gypsy lifestyle they romanticized.
Though they were not the first counterculture in history and will certainly not be the last, the bohemians have had unique impacts of 19th and 20th century Europe and America. Especially in America, our most famous subcultures and countercultures seem to have all drawn inspiration from the bohemians. The starving artist of bohemian France could have never know of the impact they had on the world, their desire to find romance in all of life has yet to die and continues to live on through counterculture youths.