The middle of the 19th century brought the big change for Paris. Gone are the days of narrow and dark alleys. Gone are the rubbish and the mud that shaped the cityscape and let the high society linger in their noble salons. The boulevards became wider and expanded. Baron Hausmann shaped the cityscape of the metropolis in such a forward-looking way that it has changed little to this day. The new streets invited people to stroll and the members of society did not hesitate to ask. Fashionably dressed, people strolled the modern streets in the afternoon and saw and were seen. The streets became the scene of the magnificent productions. Jean Béraud mingled with the illustrious society. Jean is a charming gentleman and it is easy for him to mingle with the cultured strollers and to capture the scenes of everyday life in Paris and experience his most productive creative period. Béraud documented everyday life in the era of the Belle Époque on the boulevards of the city.
Many impressionists left the city during these times and preferred the quiet surroundings for their art studies. Béraud loved the liveliness between the Champs-Elysées, Montmartre and the long banks of the Seine. Together with Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas, a community of artists was formed that gave each other inspiration and stimulation. In this way, Béraud moved away from self-portrayal and captured everyday scenes. Children leaving school and women fighting against the wind, each contemporary theme became important. To capture these scenes authentically, the painter set up a studio in a taxi. Hidden behind a curtain to protect himself from prying eyes, the canvas in the front seat and the colour palette next to the painter in the back seat. Jean wanted to capture his figures in an unsuspecting moment, without posing and coquetry. An unconventional method, but it was precisely with these works that Béraud achieved the greatest fame, without having to overcome his own modesty and timidity.
The Belle Époque stands for an age in which art was subject to great change. Art Nouveau began and the theatre and metro stations showed a modern face. The world exhibition clearly showed the position that Paris held for art and culture. All of Paris vibrated with joy. Interestingly, Béraud had decided to devote himself to painting religious themes. Béraud composed religious figures with a contemporary setting. The controversial paintings were not without criticism in art circles, brought the artist an undreamt-of popularity in society.
The middle of the 19th century brought the big change for Paris. Gone are the days of narrow and dark alleys. Gone are the rubbish and the mud that shaped the cityscape and let the high society linger in their noble salons. The boulevards became wider and expanded. Baron Hausmann shaped the cityscape of the metropolis in such a forward-looking way that it has changed little to this day. The new streets invited people to stroll and the members of society did not hesitate to ask. Fashionably dressed, people strolled the modern streets in the afternoon and saw and were seen. The streets became the scene of the magnificent productions. Jean Béraud mingled with the illustrious society. Jean is a charming gentleman and it is easy for him to mingle with the cultured strollers and to capture the scenes of everyday life in Paris and experience his most productive creative period. Béraud documented everyday life in the era of the Belle Époque on the boulevards of the city.
Many impressionists left the city during these times and preferred the quiet surroundings for their art studies. Béraud loved the liveliness between the Champs-Elysées, Montmartre and the long banks of the Seine. Together with Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas, a community of artists was formed that gave each other inspiration and stimulation. In this way, Béraud moved away from self-portrayal and captured everyday scenes. Children leaving school and women fighting against the wind, each contemporary theme became important. To capture these scenes authentically, the painter set up a studio in a taxi. Hidden behind a curtain to protect himself from prying eyes, the canvas in the front seat and the colour palette next to the painter in the back seat. Jean wanted to capture his figures in an unsuspecting moment, without posing and coquetry. An unconventional method, but it was precisely with these works that Béraud achieved the greatest fame, without having to overcome his own modesty and timidity.
The Belle Époque stands for an age in which art was subject to great change. Art Nouveau began and the theatre and metro stations showed a modern face. The world exhibition clearly showed the position that Paris held for art and culture. All of Paris vibrated with joy. Interestingly, Béraud had decided to devote himself to painting religious themes. Béraud composed religious figures with a contemporary setting. The controversial paintings were not without criticism in art circles, brought the artist an undreamt-of popularity in society.
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