In the joyful Montmartre of the early twentieth century, artists including Max Jacob, Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire live bohemian lives in Paris.
In 1916, in Montparnasse, foreign artists are starving. In Montparnasse, Soutine, the poorest of Russians, befriends Modigliani, the most beautiful of Italians.
In response to the absurdity of war, the dadaist and surrealist revolution is underway. It is headed by André Breton and Louis Aragon, surrounded by Man Ray, Robert Desnos and others.
In the early 1930s, artists took a stand against the rise of fascism. By 1936, the war in Spain mobilised Malraux, Robert Capa and Gerda Taro to support Republicans. In 1937, the massacre of Guernica inspired Picasso's canvas.
The advent of World War II. Many artists and intellectuals fled Europe. Those who remained struggled to survive, to paint and write in the fight against the occupier. Some cooperate, others resist, many acclimatise themselves.
