Kiki de Montparnasse, original name in full Alice Ernestine Prin, (born October 2, 1901, Châtillon-sur-Seine, France died March 23, 1953, Paris), French cabaret performer, painter, and artists’ muse who acquired her nickname for being a fixture in the bohemian circles of the Montparnasse neighbourhood in Paris. She modeled for numerous artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Man Ray, and Alexander Calder. Prin was born to a young single mother in a small town in the Burgundy région of France, though she was raised there by her grandmother when her mother left for Paris. At age 12 Prin went to Paris, where her