The story of Maxim's de Paris



In 1893, a seductive courtesan, Irma de Montigny, opened the door of a coachman's little meeting house owned by a waiter named Maxime Gaillard.  She created the meeting house into one of the most celebrated romantic meeting places in Europe.  

However, it was Eugene Cornuche, Maxime's magician, that endowed the house with its world-wide reputation ...one after the other ...hundreds of celebrated personalities - Marcel Proust, Edouard VII, The Belle Otero, Maria Callas, Marlene Dietrich, Sacha Guitry, Mistinguett, Rita Hayworth, Aga Khan, and then Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, The Prince of Venice, and so on......  Maxim's has long been regarded as one of the world's great restaurants.

Maxim's decor is influenced by the Parisian Belle Epoque flora and fauna ornamentation of the the turn of the century. 

The famed artist, George Goursat, also known as Sem, frequented the Maxim's restaurant where he sat for hours drawing caricatures of the society patrons.  Sem attained a level of success with his wonderfully imaginative portrayals of Paris.  By capturing the spirit of the subject, rather than the exact physical traits.  Sem produced images that were probably truer to life than formal portraits.  His skill as a caricacaturist was outstanding.  His works offer us glimpses into Parisian high society at the turn of the Century.





 

The artist at work.