Theatre du Vaudeville 

Antoine Blanchard painted this atmospheric street scene of the Theatre du Vaudeville sometime in the mid-20th century. It offers a glimpse into Parisian life, capturing a moment in time with its bustling streets and iconic architecture. Blanchard, part of a tradition of French painters who documented city life, seems to reference the Belle Époque. This was a time of optimism before the first world war that saw the flourishing of the vaudeville theatre. But the social context of Blanchard’s era was much changed. Post-war Paris had to come to terms with cultural shifts and social anxieties. The flowers and bright lights can be read as nostalgia for a lost world. What was the public role of art in this time of change? Did such imagery offer a form of escapism? Or could it challenge existing social norms? To understand the painting better, scholars might research theatre programs or archival photographs from the period. Such information could reveal the social function of popular entertainments. We see that the meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.