The Louvre, Paris 1887

Albrecht Anker painted "The Louvre, Paris," using watercolor, during a time when Paris was undergoing significant urban transformations. Anker, a Swiss artist, captures a bustling scene along the Seine. The composition—with its stark trees, the architectural grandeur of the Louvre in the distance and blurred people—offers a study in contrasts. The location and perspective, however, are interesting. Instead of focusing on the spectacle of Paris, we are at the river, a place of work. Anker’s choice to depict this angle reflects a broader cultural interest in portraying the everyday lives of ordinary people. Though Anker made his name painting idyllic scenes of Swiss children, here he points to the growing divide between the city's modernization and the laboring class that supported it. The image evokes a sense of detachment and observation. What does it mean to stand at a distance and observe the change?