The Bohemian movement began in early-19th-century Paris and continues to this day, although it has spread elsewhere, including London's Soho district and New York's Greenwich Village. The name derives from a low-rent district where poor artists lived, often among gypsies who had immigrated to France from the central European region of Bohemia.
Bohemians live their lives by distinct ideals, including limited private property. They own few possessions and often enjoy communal living. Bohemians reject bourgeois and middle-class values, often breaking both social and artistic rules. They also believe in art for art's sake, not worrying whether a particular project will make money. They frequently reject or lack respect for commercial art, literature, theater and music.
The "Bohemian Manifesto" identifies five types of Bohemians, starting with Nouveau, or wealthy people who embrace the uninhibited artistic lifestyle. Gypsy Bohemians romanticize past eras and remain relatively rootless travelers. Modern examples include Deadheads and flower children. The Beats are utopian idealists who despise materialism. Zen Bohemians express the spiritual meaning of life through art. Dandies are poor individuals with eclectic and expensive tastes in food, drink and clothing. They exhibit upper-class mannerisms despite having lower-class incomes.
Among the Bohemians who found fame in their lifetimes are author and playwright Oscar Wilde, poets Jack Kerouac and Lord Byron, and publisher Hugh Hefner. Well-known artists include Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock. Musician John Lennon is one of the few commercially successful artists to later be accepted by Bohemians following his work as a solo artist and marriage to artist Yoko Ono.
Bohemians are often labeled as anarchists, communists and criminals due to their opinions, rule breaking and use of illegal drugs. A few have developed close ties with leftist organizations and developed political works, but a common thread among Bohemian artists is embracing change in strict social rules and restrictions rather than political upheaval.
Although many Bohemian artists and writers struggle in anonymity, their work sometimes has a strong posthumous influence. Future artists often embrace the idealistic approach of the Bohemians. Some Bohemian works, such as the plays of Wilde and the poetry of Kerouac, found mainstream acceptance, even among the upper and middle classes they target.