What is the importance of Paris, France in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein?

The main setting of “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas” is that of Paris, France. In 1903, Gertrude Stein moved to Paris with her brother Leo, where she spent the rest of her life. Alice B. Toklas met Gertrude Stein in Paris on September 8, 1907, the day she arrived.

Alice, as narrator, describes the home at 27 rue de Fleurus where she and Gertrude Stein lived for many years as consisting of two stories with four small rooms, a kitchen and bath. When Alice first arrived, she was taken by Miss Stein to the atelier, where paintings lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The paintings were of all kinds, including Cézannes, Renoirs, Matisses and Picassos, as well as paintings by Gauguin, Manguin, Vallotton, Manet, and Toulouse-Lautrec. As time progressed, many more artists would be added to the collection.