Gezicht op de Seine in Parijs 1856

Here we see an anonymous print of the Seine in Paris. The image captures a panoramic view of Parisian life. What stories do these buildings hold? Who are the people crossing the bridge? These are the questions I ask myself when viewing this piece. During this time, Paris was undergoing massive transformations which dramatically altered the urban landscape and the social fabric of the city. This piece illustrates the tension of modernization as industrialization brought new forms of transportation and trade, and the lives of the working class were often displaced in the process. Who held the power to transform the city, and whose voices were silenced in the name of progress? This print invites us to reflect on the complex ways in which urban development impacts social structures and individual experiences.