The Académie de la Grande Chaumière, one of the last bastions of bohemian Montparnasse and a legendary Parisian art studio with international renown, has permanently closed its historic doors on July 26, 2025, marking the end of an era that spanned over a century. The closure has left artists and apprentices heartbroken as they bid farewell to a place where some of the world's most celebrated artists began their careers.
Since 1904, this historic studio in Paris's Montparnasse district has attracted renowned painters and artists from around the globe. For 120 years, hundreds of live models posed before thousands of aspiring artists in this unique space that was originally opened by two female painters during a time when only men were allowed to enter the École des Beaux-Arts and when nude drawing studios were forbidden to women.
The closure came as a result of a real estate buyout, devastating those who considered the Grande Chaumière their artistic home. Alexandre de Broca, a professional painter who trained at this legendary venue, expressed his profound grief: "For thirty years, I've been coming here, to this refuge for artists who need to practice their scales," he lamented. "For just a few euros, we could come and draw nudes in this free studio, without a teacher. Here, I drew and learned. Here, I met extraordinary artists. Here, I loved the models. But it's over. It will be private, at worst, or become a foundation at best, but never again will we be free to come and draw, and that's what they've stolen from us. They've taken away this freedom."
The studio's international reputation drew approximately 8,000 amateur sketch artists who came to draw from live models just last year. Among them were American and Chinese artists, attracted by the studio's unique atmosphere and its status as one of the last remaining legacies of the bohemian Montparnasse of the Roaring Twenties. Many were also drawn by the idea of creating art under the legacy of the great names who had preceded them.
The list of distinguished artists who taught at La Grande Chaumière reads like a who's who of modern art: Antoine Bourdelle, Fernand Léger, and Ossip Zadkine all served as instructors there. The roster of famous artists who began their careers at the studio before achieving international acclaim is equally impressive and includes Camille Claudel, Amedeo Modigliani, Marc Chagall, Paul Gauguin, and Alberto Giacometti. More recently, the studio also nurtured talents like Serge Gainsbourg, Cabu, and Gérard Garouste.
Recognizing the imminent destruction of these historic studios, which had remained unchanged and authentic throughout their existence, Alexandre de Broca felt compelled to preserve a record of this important piece of Parisian artistic heritage. "It was absolutely necessary to come and paint these places to keep a testimony," he explained. "Here, there was this theatricality that you don't necessarily find in other free studios that exist elsewhere in Paris. It's quite simple, this place has great sobriety, a true beauty of light. And in this modest setting, we could also manage to showcase and enhance the human form."
While the Académie de la Grande Chaumière has been evicted from its historic location, there are plans for it to reappear at a different address in the near future. However, the loss of the original space represents more than just a change of venue – it symbolizes the end of an authentic artistic environment that had remained virtually untouched for over a century.
The Paris 6th arrondissement city hall has approved a project to convert the historic location into a museum and commercial space, choosing not to exercise its right of preemption to preserve the site for its original purpose. Attempts to have the main studio classified as a historic monument were unsuccessful, leaving the fate of this culturally significant space to market forces.
The closure represents a victory of real estate market logic over the intangible value of a living space of artistic creation. The decision reflects broader challenges facing historic cultural venues in increasingly expensive urban centers, where commercial interests often override cultural preservation efforts.
For many in the art community, the loss of La Grande Chaumière represents more than just the closure of a studio – it marks the end of an accessible, democratic approach to art education that welcomed artists regardless of their background or financial means. The studio's "free" format, where artists could work without formal instruction for a modest fee, provided an invaluable service to the international art community.
The studio's unique atmosphere, described by many as irreplaceable, was characterized by its simplicity and the quality of natural light that made it ideal for figure drawing. This unpretentious environment allowed artists to focus on their craft while connecting with a tradition that stretched back to the early 20th century.
As one of the last authentic remnants of the legendary artistic quarter that made Montparnasse famous worldwide, La Grande Chaumière's closure represents a significant cultural loss not just for Paris, but for the international art community that had come to regard it as an essential pilgrimage site for serious artists.
The transformation of this historic space into a commercial and museum venue, while potentially preserving some aspects of its heritage, cannot replicate the living, breathing artistic community that made La Grande Chaumière special. As the saying goes, even in Montparnasse, everything passes, everything breaks – but the memories and artistic legacy of this remarkable institution will endure in the works and hearts of the thousands of artists who found inspiration within its historic walls.
