Paris Underground

THE GRAFFITI ART of the tunnels and quarries beneath Paris is a mirror and memorial of the past 500 years. It is easier to track the history of Paris through these images than to look for it above ground in the streets. For generations, a broad range of French citizenry has created artwork that responds to historical events like the French Revolution, the storming of the Bastille, Prussian and German soldiers, the Nazi occupation, Resistance workers, civilian and secret societies, the Cataphiles and the student and workers’ strikes of the late 1960s. This book illustrates graffiti, painting, sculpture, mosaics and cartoons. Today, the underground labyrinths are plagued by illicit explorers who leave elaborate art behind. This book brings to light these striking images and the insightful text tells the tale that to date has remained underground.