While the idea of Bohemianism may seem eternal, the founding of Bohemianism in Paris can be traced to 1830 when a small group of young writers and artists formed a circle they called le Petit Cénacle. They believed that life should be lived for art—and art never should be employed toward bourgeois conventions and comforts.

The Bohemians of le Petite Cénacle became infamous for their drunken revelry, noisy impropriety, and outrageous dress. Their motto: “Èpater la Bourgeoisie” or shock, scandalize, flabbergast the stuffy middle class. 

This podcast was created by Roger Mummert for www.theparisproject.net.