Brasserie La Coupole on the Boulevard du Montparnasse in Paris is described as “a true Art Deco masterpiece” and “the most famous Parisian brasserie in the world.”
Established
in 1927, it was the largest restaurant in Paris at 800 square metres. Many of
the original features are still there: the domed ceiling, the 32 square
pillars, the original mosaic tiles, and its chandeliers. Even the bathrooms
have the original basins with pedal-operated taps – just press a button on the
floor with your foot and the tap flows.
From the beginning, the restaurant not only attracted artists, but was also well-decorated with local artwork. Twenty-seven artists were commissioned in 1927 to paint the pillars. Now, every wall is an art exhibition. Tour groups view the exhibitions which change regularly, and to see the permanent pieces, such as the ceiling dome and the large sculpture underneath.
The
bar is still named The Bar Americain, as it attracted the elite from America
and around the world since the 1920s, including Man Ray, Pablo Picasso,
Josephine Baker, Henry Miller, Matisse, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Satre, Simone
de Beauvoir, and James Joyce.
The
interior dome was painted in 2008 by four artists: Argentine artist Ricardo
Mosner, French painter Carole Benzaken, Moroccan painter Fouad Bellamine, and Chinese
artist Xiao Fan. Their themes were: women, celebrations, and nature. Directly
underneath the dome is the sculpture called “la Terre” (the Earth) by Fench
sculptor Louis Derbre. Installed in 1994, it is now a permanent feature of the
brasserie.
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