Bohemianism

Counter-culture movement of the

early 19th to 20th century
Introduction
• Bohemianism is defined as the practice of an
unconventional lifestyle, often in the
company of like-minded people, involving
musical, literary, and artistic pursuits, with
few permanent ties
• Bohemians are often wanderers,
adventurers, or vagabonds (“drifters”)
Introduction
• The term “Bohemian” is of French origin (bohémien)
from the early 19th century used to describe the non-
traditional lifestyles of marginalized and
impoverished artists in major European cities who
lived in derelict gypsy neighborhoods
• Bohemians were often associated with unorthodox
or anti-establishment political or social viewpoints
which were often expressed through “Free Love”,
frugality, and voluntary poverty
Lifestyles and Values
• Bohemians stemming from both Europe and
America usually rejected the following ideas:
– Private property and materialism through having
no permanent residence anywhere and living on
little to no wealth
– Strict moral values by living carefree lives of
alcohol, drug use, and open sexual freedom
– Pursuit of wealth by living solely for art and
literature’s sake, regardless of income
Beginnings
• “Bohemianism” began
gaining mainstream
attention after the French
Revolution when French
society began a radical
change, particularly the
Bourgeoisie which began a
slow decline
• Many members of that class
felt disillusioned and
became artists and writers
in protest of what they saw
was the destruction of
“beauty and “nature”
Beginnings
• Two primary points in the movement
stemmed from Paris during the early 19th
century and lasted until the onset of World
War I, and in America during the mid 20th
century with the Beat Generation and the
Hippie Culture
Paris (early 1800s – 1914)
• Began as a primarily
underground
movement known only
to few artists that
convened in cafes
• Many lived
impoverished lives due
to obscurity and
rejection of any
mainstream credibility
Paris (early 1800s – 1914)
• Most members fully embraced the
Bohemian lifestyle but were however
derided by some of the earlier proponents
of the movement and further adding that
the movement was dying
• By the onset of the first World War, the
movement halted momentarily as France
was flung into war
America (1950s-1960s)
• The “Beat Generation”
emerged from the end of
the second World War as a
response to a need for a
more “spontaneous, chaotic
intellectual movement”
• Generally influenced by a
circle of writers
• Saw an increase in
experimentation with drugs
and other alternative forms
of sexuality and religion
America (1950s-1960s)
• The rise of the Hippie
Culture led to further
expansion of the Beat
Culture’s beliefs
• Parallel to the original
values of Bohemianism,
the Hippie Culture
exemplified rebellion
and rejection of
materialism and wealth
America (1950s-1960s)
• The Hippie Culture became
a global phenomenon in
the middle to late 1960s as
people sought to embrace
the free-spirited lifestyle
• The culture began to
decline during the 1970s
with laws prohibiting drug
use and the steady loss of
interest of the lifestyle
from the public