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Aïcha Goblet

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Aïcha Goblet
Born
Madeleine Julie Gobelet

28 February 1894
Renescure
Died27 June 1972(1972-06-27) (aged 78)
Paris
CitizenshipFrench
Occupation(s)Artists' model and dancer
Known forFigure of the Années folles in 1920s Paris.

Aïcha Goblet (born Madeleine Julie Gobelet) (28 February 1894 - 27 June 1972) was a French artists' model and dancer, a figure of the Années folles in 1920s Paris.

Early life

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Madeleine Julie Gobelet was born on 28 February 1894 at Renescure, a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Her twin brother Henri was born a few hours before her.[1] They were the children of Marthe Joseph Calin and Jules Améry Gobelet. Their father had died in Brazil on 1 September 1893, whilst their mother was pregnant. Their mother travelled back to France a month before the twins' birth. Both parents came from Renescure, and were a domestic servant and day labourer when they married in 1880.[2] Madeleine had an older brother, Jules Charles and two sisters, Marie Antoinette and Marie Julienne, born in 1885 and 1887 in Clairmarais in the Pas-de-Calais.[3]

In 1911, Madeleine settled with her mother and older sister in Nœux-les-Mines.[4] Later, many false or hard-to-verify accounts of her youth were circulated in the press: it was said (or she herself said) that she was born in Hazebrouck[5] or Roubaix,[6] that her parents had ten children,[7] or that she started out as a circus rider at the age of 6.[8] It was suggested that her mother was Flemish, and that her father was South American,[9] Argentinean[10] or from Martinique.[11] In his 1950 book Montparnasse, André Salmon suggested that her father was an artist in a travelling circus.[12] Aïcha later described herself as the only black woman in her family[13] and said that her twin brother was ‘as blond as wheat’.[14]

Artists' model

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Goblet recounted different versions of how she became an artists' model in 1911. In one, she was approached in the street in Paris by the painter Jules Pascin, whom she later met again at the Café de l'Ogive;[14] another version claimed that while working in a circus in Clamart, two men approached her and asked her to become a model; she agreed to go to the café du Dôme and meet Pascin there. What is known is that she did become the painter's exclusive model for a time, but never posed nude for him.[14]

After a year, Goblet stopped modelling for Pascin, but remained close to him until his death in 1930.[14] She lived for a time at the Villa Falguière, sculptor Alexandre Falguière's pink villa at no. 14 Cité Falguière, which developed into something of an artists' hotel in 1920s in support of the nearby artists studios.[11] Under the name of Aïcha, she became an icon of Montparnasse,[15] dominated at the time by Alice Prin, alias ‘Kiki’ the unofficial Queen of Montparnasse. She carried a card-case containing cards painted with forget-me-nots and with scalloped gilt edges, engraved with just her name.[11] Other artists of the period took her as their model, including Félix Vallotton, Man Ray, Henri Matisse, Tsuguharu Foujita and Moïse Kisling.[16] Aïsha most often appeared wearing a brightly coloured turban. She also organised numerous debates and meetings,[17] such as the ‘Aïcha dinner’ at La Coupole brasserie.[18]

In 1920, Aïcha inspired the novelist André Salmon to write his novel La Négresse du Sacré-Cœur.[19][20]

Performance career

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That same year, Aïcha began working as a music hall actress and dancer.[21] She appeared in several plays directed by Gaston Baty, alongside the black actor Habib Benglia, with whom she became friends.[7] the plays included Le Simoun (1920), Haya (1922) and À l'ombre du mal (1924) by Henri-René Lenormand. In 1925, in Paul Demasy's play La Cavalière Elsa, based on the novel by Pierre Mac Orlan[13] Aïcha appeared with bare breasts, at a time when nudity was not yet accepted on stage.[19] According to historian Sylvie Chalaye, critics at the time praised her only for ‘her figure and her nudity’. As with Habib Benglia, the press and the public were more interested in her appearance than her acting.[21] In 1928, she appeared nude in Simon Gantillon's Départs, eliciting ambiguous reviews: whilst her performance was praised, it was described through a racist viewpoint and language.[22][23]

By 1926, Aïcha Goblet was living at 11, rue Jules-Chaplain.[24] She became the companion and model of the painter Samuel Granovsky.[25]

Later life

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At the turn of the 1930s, her modelling career over, she continued to frequent the cafés of Montparnasse and recounted her memories to journalists such as Henri Broca and Emmanuel Bourcier.[26][27][28][7][8]

André Salmon put her in touch with the director of a magazine, who she presented with an outline of her memoirs.[12] Salmon later recounted: "After reading it, he courteously invited Aïcha to come to the studio adjoining the literary office, for the express purpose of stripping off all veils and posing for the camera as simply as she had done in the studio, on the model's board. The result was two fascinating photographs". However, all that emerged from this interview was a short article, illustrated with three nude photographs, published in Mon Paris.[13]

In 1935, Aïcha Goblet appeared in her last play, Hôtel des masques by Albert-Jean. She left Montparnasse for Montmartre, and never returned.[29]

Aïcha Goblet died in 1972, at her home at 100 rue Lamarck in Monmartre, Paris.[30]

Legacy

[edit]

Michel Fabre has stated that Aïcha Goblet paved the way for Joséphine Baker, as did other black artists such as Lucy (Julie Luce) and her daughter D'al-Al (Simone Luce), despite the obscurity into which they fell in the years after they stopped performing.[11]

In 2018, Villa La Fleur, a private Polish museum, presented portraits of Aïcha Goblet in an exhibition entitled Kobiety Montparnassu (The Women of Montparnasse).[17] The following year, several works depicting Aïcha were included in the exhibition Le Modèle noir, de Géricault à Matisse (The Black Model, from Géricault to Matisse) at the Musée d'Orsay.[31]

Works featuring Aïcha Goblet

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(non exhaustive list)

Edgar Chahine, Portrait d'Aïcha, c. 1920, Paris, Musée Arménien de France.

Paintings and drawings

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  • Henri Hayden, Portrait d'Aïcha, 1913, oil on canvas, 80.3 x 60 cm, private collection.[32]
  • Edgar Chahine, Aïcha, 1913, etching, edition of 50, 36 x 35.7 cm.[33]
  • Tsugouharu Foujita, Portrait d'Aïcha, modèle de Montparnasse[34] and various drawings, 1914.[35][36]
  • Henri Matisse, Aïcha et Lorette, 1917, oil on canvas, 37.5 × 46.4 cm, private collection.
  • Moïse Kisling, Portrait d'Aïcha, 1919, oil on mahogany panel, 45.3 × 40.5 cm, private collection.[37]
  • Henry Ottmann, Courtisane endormie, 1920, oil on canvas, 135.5 × 174.5 cm, Paris, musée national d'Art moderne, inv. LUX.0.143 P.
  • Edgar Chahine, Portrait d'Aïcha, c. 1920, pastel, 35 x 27 cm, Paris, Musée arménien de France.[38]
  • Félix Vallotton, Aïcha, 1922, oil on canvas, 100 × 81 cm, Hambourg, Kunsthalle de Hambourg, on permanent loan from The Stiftung für die Hamburger Kunstsammlungen, inv. HK-5739.[37]
  • Samuel Granovsky, Nude (Aïcha), 1925, pastel on paper, 61 × 79 cm, private collection.[39]
  • Samuel Granovsky, Nu de dos, Aïcha, 1926, pastel on paper, 80 × 64 cm, private collection.[40]
  • Jacques Mathey, Le Modèle Aïcha, 19??, oil on card, 73 x 91 cm, private collection.[41]
  • Kees Van Dongen, Aïcha allongée, 19??, oil on canvas, 50.5 x 79 cm, private collection.[42]

Photographs

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  • Man Ray, Le Modèle Aïcha, 1922, private collection.[43]
  • Marc Vaux, Portrait d'Aïcha, 19??, Paris, Centre Pompidou-MNAM/CCI-Bibliothèque Kandinsky, fonds Marc Vaux, inv. MV2551.[44]
  • Marc Vaux, Portrait d'Aïcha, modèle de Montparnasse (contretype?), 19??, Paris, Centre Pompidou-MNAM/CCI-Bibliothèque Kandinsky, inv. CRE 8.44.[45] Contretype reproduced in Paris Montparnasse, No. 7, 1929, fonds Marc Vaux, Le Verrier box, inv. MV 11816.
  • Albert Harlingue, Intérieur d'un café de Montparnasse (Aïcha Goblet in the centre of the image), photograph, circa 1930, Roger-Viollet agency.[46]

Sculptures

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Theatre productions

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Emmanuel Bourcier (17 April 1931). "La Vénus de Montparnasse". Paris-Soir: 2.
  • Aïcha (June 1936). "Aïcha vous parle". Mon Paris (8): 7–9.
  • André Salmon (1950). Montparnasse. Paris: André Bonne. pp. 222–228.
  • Jill Berk Jiminez (October 2013). "GOBLET, Aicha". Dictionary of Artists' Models. Routledge. pp. 233–234, 624. ISBN 978-1-135-95921-0. Jiminez2013.

Documentaries

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References

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  1. ^ Actes de naissance No. 18 (avec mention marginale de mariage) et No. 19 (avec mention marginale de décès), 01/03/1894, Renescure, Archives départementales du Nord
  2. ^ Acte de mariage No. 2, 4 février 1880, Renescure, Archives départementales du Nord
  3. ^ Actes de naissance No. 25, 17 April 1880 (with mention in margins of marriage), Renescure, Archives départementales du Nord; No. 3, 6 March 1885 (with mention in margins of marriage); No. 3, 4 March 1887, Clairmarais, Archives départementales du Pas-de-Calais
  4. ^ Recensement de population, 1911, Nœux-les-Mines, p. 16, Archives départementales du Pas-de-Calais
  5. ^ "Mon Paris : son visage et sa vie ardente". Gallica. 1936-06-01. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  6. ^ "Au pays du café crème in L'Intransigeant". Gallica. 1935-04-22. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  7. ^ a b c Broca, Henri (15 August 1929). "La princesse Aïcha et le mage Pascin in Paris Montparnasse : mensuel illustre". Gallica. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  8. ^ a b Broca, Henri (5 September 1933). "Aïcha, modèle préféré de Pascin, évoque quelques souvenirs... in L'Intransigeant". Gallica. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  9. ^ "La Vénus de Montparnasse in Paris-soir". Gallica. 17 April 1931. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  10. ^ Emmanuel Bourcier (1933-12-20). "Sysytème D. VI Chez les modèles de Montparnasse in L'Intransigeant". Gallica (in French). pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  11. ^ a b c d "Michel Fabre | S&F Online | Josephine Baker: A Century in the Spotlight". sfonline.barnard.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  12. ^ a b Salmon, André (1950). Montparnasse. Preservation Department UCLA Library. Paris : A. Bonne.
  13. ^ a b c d Goblet, Aïcha (1 June 1936). "Aïcha vous parle in Mon Paris : son visage et sa vie ardente". Gallica. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  14. ^ a b c d "L'idole sombre ressuscite les morts in Le Petit Journal". Gallica. 28 December 1929. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  15. ^ Broca, Henri (1928). T'en fais pas, viens à Montparnasse ! : enquête sur le Montparnasse actuel (in French). Paris. p. 15. Retrieved 2022-11-05.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ^ Valérie Oddos (2 April 2019). "Les artistes et la figure noire au musée d'Orsay : six modèles et leurs peintres". francetvinfo.fr.
  17. ^ a b "VILLA LA FLEUR - L'art de l'école de Paris". lepetitjournal.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  18. ^ "Le dîner Aïcha in Paris Montparnasse". Gallica (in French). 15 September 1929. p. 26.
  19. ^ a b Interview de Sylvie Chalaye par Doan Bui (28 November 2021). "De la Vénus hottentote à Joséphine Baker, voyage dans l'" éroticolonialisme "". L'Obs (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  20. ^ Salmon, André (1920). La Négresse du Sacré-Coeur. Paris: Nouvelle Revue française. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  21. ^ a b Sylvie Chalaye (January 2020). Race et Théâtre. Actes Sud Théâtre. p. 158. ISBN 978-2-330-13138-8.
  22. ^ William Speth, «Le théâtre», La Revue mondiale, 15 December 1928, p. 517
  23. ^ Étienne Rey, «Départs, spectacle en 15 tableaux de M. Simon Gantillon», Comœdia, 28 November 1928, p. 1-2
  24. ^ Recensement de population, Paris, quartier Notre-Dame des Champs, 1926, Archives de Paris
  25. ^ Pineau, Gisèle (2021-01-07). Ady, soleil noir (in French). Philippe Rey. ISBN 978-2-84876-810-6. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  26. ^ Georges Omer (1929-08-08). "Femmes de Montparnasse. Aïcha la mûlatresse, modèle favori de tous les grands peintres in Paris-midi". Gallica (in French).
  27. ^ Jean Amoretti (1930-02-13). "De Montmartre à Montparnasse. Les modèles sont pour le genre " pompier " in L'Œuvre". Gallica (in French). pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  28. ^ Emmanuel Bourcier (1931-04-17). "La Vénus de Montparnasse in Paris-soir". Gallica (in French). p. 2. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  29. ^ Marius Richard (1942-01-06). "Mais où sont les Montparnos d'antan? in Paris-soir". Gallica (in French). p. 2.
  30. ^ Acte de décès No. 1571, 27 June 1972, Paris , Archives de Paris (vue 28/31)
  31. ^ Établissement public des musées d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie; Miriam and Ira D. Wallach art gallery; Mémorial ACTE, eds. (2019). Le modèle noir: de Géricault à Matisse [exposition, Paris, Musée d'Orsay, 26 mars-21 juillet 2019, Pointe-à-Pitre, Mémorial ACTE, 13 septembre-29 décembre 2019]. Paris: Musée d'Orsay Flammarion. ISBN 978-2-35433-281-5.
  32. ^ Henri Hayden. "Portrait d'Aïcha". www.artnet.fr. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  33. ^ "Aïcha". Oger-Blanchet (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  34. ^ Buisson, Sylvie; Buisson, Dominique (2001). Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (in French). www.acr-edition.com. p. 580. ISBN 978-2-86770-149-8. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  35. ^ Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1914). "Aicha". www.artnet.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  36. ^ Associés, Beaussant Lefèvre &. "Tsuguharu Léonard FOUJITA (1886-1968)". Beaussant Lefèvre & Associés (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  37. ^ a b "Le Modèle noir de Géricault à Matisse, dossier de presse de l'exposition, Paris, musée d'Orsay" (PDF). 2019.
  38. ^ Edgar Chahine. "Portrait d'Aïcha". Musée Arménien de France (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  39. ^ "Nu (Aicha), 1925 - Samuel Granovsky (Ukrainien, 1882-1942)". AnticStore (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  40. ^ Samuel Granovsky. "Nu de dos, Aïcha". www.artcurial.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  41. ^ Mathyeu, LE BAL (19 December 2017). "galerielesmontparnos". galerielesmontparnos (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  42. ^ Kees van Dongen. "Aïcha allongée". www.artnet.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  43. ^ Portrait d'Aïcha, 1922, vente du 14 November 2004, Artcurial, Paris
  44. ^ Marc Vaux. "Portrait d'Aïcha". www.photo.rmn.fr. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  45. ^ Marc Vaux, Portrait d'Aïcha, modèle de Montparnasse (contretype?), 19??, Paris, Centre Pompidou-MNAM/CCI-Bibliothèque Kandinsky, CRE 8.44
  46. ^ Albert Harlingue. "Intérieur d'un café de Montparnasse". Roger-Viollet (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  47. ^ Cecil Howard (1912–1913). Nubienne d'après le modèle Aïcha, réalisée par le sculpteur américain Cecil Howard en 1912-13, et présentée aux Gorham Galleries de New York en 1916. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  48. ^ "Tercafs Jeanne, Femme Malgache, ou portrait d'Aïcha Goblet". Galerie Tourbillon, sculptures 19e, sculptures 20e, arts décoratifs, verrerie art nouveau (in French). 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  49. ^ "Haya". Les Archives du Spectacle (in French). 21 February 1922. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  50. ^ "La Cavalière Elsa". Les Archives du Spectacle (in French). 3 June 1925. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  51. ^ "Montparnasse - Eugene Deslaw -1929. Banda sonora: Ortiz Morales & La Insostenible big band". YouTube (in French). 6 May 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  52. ^ Drot, Jean-Marie. Pascin, l'oublié. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
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