Different Perspectives of the Grands Boulevards of Paris at the End of the 19th Century

Many people throughout history have been enthralled by the sprawling, captivating city of Paris. Nowadays the capital of France is considered the epitome of refined culture and is acclaimed for its trendy fashion, daring art, and exquisite cuisine. For those who have been able to visit the city itself, they can attest that the energy of Paris is practically palpable; there truly is no place like it. 

By the end of the 19th century, there was one area of Paris that people from all over found particularly fascinating: the grands boulevards of the city. This was mainly due to the fact that from the early 1850’s to the beginning of the 1870’s, Paris was undergoing a rather intensive transformation. Napoleon III had charged a city official by the name of Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann to completely modernize the city. This process of renovation included tearing up the tight, winding alleyways and replacing them with the broad, linear, aesthetically-pleasing avenues that Paris is known for today. Napoleon’s hope was that by widening out the streets and implementing technology, Paris would blossom in the increasingly modern world. Considered “the best” of the Parisian boulevards, this group of promenades was the inspiration for a number of series for many talented painters, including well-known artists such as Camille Pissarro whose view of the boulevards served as the source of inspiration for one of his most famous works, The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning (1897). The pieces included are presented in the chronological order in which they were created, and the purpose of this exhibition is to explore how six different 19th century artists, including Pissarro, chose to portray the grands boulevards using their own unique perspectives and painting styles.

Claude Monet, Boulevard des Capucines, 1873 - 1874, Oil on canvas, w603.25 x h803.4 inches (unframed), The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Painted between the years of 1873-1874, Monet’s Boulevard des Capucines is the oldest painting included in this exhibit. Because Pissarro’s Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning (1897) is the centerpiece of this show, it will serve as the point of comparison for all of the other pieces that are included. When comparing these two pieces, one cannot help but notice their striking similarities. Both Monet and Pissarro chose to depict one of the grands boulevards on a busy, wintry afternoon from a higher vantage point, as if looking down on the street from above. They both use the primary color blue to characterize the overall Impressionistic style as well as the chilly atmosphere of the scene, and both artists use the same form of light, flicking brushstrokes to convey the sense of movement occurring on the street below.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Grands Boulevards, 1875, Oil on canvas, w25 x h20.5 inches (overall), Philadelphia Museum of Art

The first feature of this painting that strikes us as different is the fact that we are now at eye level with the scene. Rather than viewing the street from above as with Monet and Pissarro’s paintings, Renoir takes us straight into the piece, as if we were wandering the city streets and experiencing the bustle of the boulevard for ourselves. It also appears to be warm and sunny, causing the viewer to feel welcomed into the pleasant Parisian streets. Renoir uses the same smudgy style typical of Impressionists, which conveys a sense of motion as well as makes the brighter colors in the scene pop.

Jean Béraud, Paris Kiosk, 1880-1884, Oil on canvas, h14 x w10 7/16 in. (35.5 x 26.5 cm), The Walters Art Museum (Accession Number: 37.1055)

Béraud’s Paris Kiosk (1880-1884) presents the viewer with a similar perspective found in Renoir’s The Grands Boulevards (1875), but with a slightly different approach. Rather than dabbing the paint on the canvas to make it appear almost blurred, Béraud uses clear, strong lines to provide a precise depiction of individuals investigating a news stand on the city street. His more detailed technique makes the city seem like it is in a sharper focus, challenging the viewer to take in as much of the activity as possible. This precision makes it feel less as if the people on the boulevard are rushing past, and more as if we are caught in a standstill, starstruck and awed to be among the Parisians in their natural habitat.

Vincent van Gogh, Boulevard de Clichy, 1887, Oil on canvas, 45.5 cm (17.9 in) x 55 cm (21.6 in), Van Gogh Museum

Van Gogh provides us with a bright, crisp perspective of the streets of Paris with the vibrant colors and illustrative technique he uses in Boulevard de Clichy (1887).  Like Renoir and Béraud, Van Gogh paints from the context of being out on the street himself which helps to create a more personal relationship between the painting and the viewer. It makes sense as to why Van Gogh would want his viewers to feel connected to this piece, due to the fact that he was residing within the neighborhood of Montmartre with his brother Theo during this time. It is a well known fact that Van Gogh experienced many hardships in his life, so the idea of commemorating a place that represented a home and respite for himself and his friends must have been appealing to the troubled artist.

Camille Pissarro, The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning, 1897, Oil on canvas, 25 1/2 x 32 in. (64.8 x 81.3 cm), The Met (Accession Number: 60.174)

At the heart of this exhibition is Camille Pissarro’s famous piece The Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning (1897). Painted approximately ten years after Van Gogh’s Boulevard de Clichy (1887), Pissarro provides us with a different type of energy with this painting. He returns to the perspective of looking down on the boulevard from a higher vantage point, providing us with a “birds-eye view” of the bustling activity occurring in the street below. What makes this depiction of urban life so unique is how Pissarro’s painting style causes the scene to come alive to the viewer. His use of light, flicking brushstrokes and layering of color helps to convey a sense of motion, as if we are observing the scene from the same hotel window from which it was painted.

Konstantin Korovin, Montmartre in the evening, 1930, Oil on canvas, 89×102 cm, Yaroslavl Art Museum

Although Karovin’s Montmartre in the evening (1930) is a few decades after the other pieces included in this exhibition, it is interesting to see how artists’ fascination with the grands boulevards of Paris extended even beyond the end of the 19th century. Karovin’s depiction of Paris is unmistakably different from the other paintings we have seen, possibly because it was created almost thirty years later. However,  he still incorporates the same lively energy that characterizes the City of Lights with his collection of varied colors, wide, sweeping brush strokes, and hazy ambience.