“Impressions” of 19th-Century Paris
FROM HAYSTACKS TO RAILROAD TRACKS
Strolling down the wide, well-lit streets of central Paris, you would never guess that the majority of the architecture dates back only 150 years. Paris launched a massive modernization campaign under the supervision of Baron Haussmann, a civic planner dedicated to revitalizing the city—from gutters to gas lamps. Tiny winding streets gave way to wide “boulevards” with magnificent sightlines of monuments like the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. As leisure time increased, artists, poets, photographers, and philosophers began to cultivate a café culture where ideas about art and life were shared over late night cups of espresso and absinthe. Artists like Mary Cassatt, Claude Monet, and Gustave Caillebotte painted everyday life—boats on the bay, children at play, the everyday Parisian. Their “impressions” of city life helped form a name for this group and those to follow: Impressionism.
The Parisian neighborhood of Montmartre, or Martyr’s Hill, became home to many artists during the 19th century.
Not all the images produced during this time depicted modern Paris in a positive light. Many were discontent with the social upheavals occurring in Paris. Post-Impressionists Vincent van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec depicted the seamier side of Parisian life—the struggle of the lower classes, the absinthe addicts, cabaret dancers, the destitute—and the loss of human connection many felt in an age of rapid industrialization. Look past the bright colors and light-filled canvasses, and you can see the often edgy social commentary in which these artists were actively engaged. —SBR