
La Maison Rose in Paris is a famous café in Montmartre, known for its connection with Picasso and the artists who gathered there. It is still in operation and is run by Germaine’s great-grandchildren, giving the café a direct link to one of Montmartre’s most remembered artistic stories.
It is not the similarly named La Maison Rouge, the former contemporary art foundation near the Bastille at 10 Boulevard de la Bastille in Paris’s 12th arrondissement. La Maison Rouge closed in October 2018; La Maison Rose is the Montmartre café associated with Picasso and his friends.
What is La Maison Rose in Paris?
La Maison Rose is a café in Montmartre that was once frequented by Picasso and his friends. Its identity comes not only from the building’s name, but from the people and events connected with it. The café remains in operation, with Germaine’s great-grandchildren running it today.
Why is La Maison Rose associated with Picasso?
La Maison Rose is associated with Picasso through the tragic story of his best friend, Carlos Casagemas. Picasso first came to Paris in 1900 with Casagemas, a fellow artist from Barcelona.
Casagemas fell in love with Germaine, one of Picasso’s models. She was married, and the love was unrequited. In February 1901, Casagemas followed Germaine to a café and pulled out a revolver. He shot her, grazing her temple, and then shot himself in the head.
Picasso was deeply affected by his friend’s death. He began what became known as his Blue Period, whose work was marked by sadness and sorrow. The café’s place in this story is one reason its name remains closely tied to Picasso’s early years in Paris. The connection is documented in the Montmartre artist history tour.
Which artists and performers came to La Maison Rose?
La Maison Rose’s cultural association extends beyond Picasso. In later years, numerous artists, singers, and actors came to the café, including Edith Piaf, Barbara, Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Albert Camus.
Those names place La Maison Rose within a continuing record of artistic and performance culture, while its connection to Germaine’s family links that later history to the café’s earlier Montmartre story.
How can you place La Maison Rose in Montmartre’s story?
La Maison Rose is one of the documented stops in Life as an Impressionist Artist in 1880s Montmartre. It is worth understanding as a specific café with links to Picasso, Casagemas, Germaine, and named generations of artists and performers—not simply as a colourful Montmartre landmark.
The tour that visits La Maison Rose
Each one is a self-guided route you can start whenever you like.
- places
- Paris
- La Maison Rose
- Montmartre
- Picasso
- art history
