Place de la Bastille 

Editor: So, this is Édouard Cortès's *Place de la Bastille*, painted with oils in an impressionist style. There's this wonderful, almost melancholic, feeling that it gives. Like looking at a memory of a cold Parisian evening. How would you interpret this painting? Curator: Ah, yes. Cortès. He had such a knack for capturing the soul of Paris! What I find particularly charming here is how he uses light. The warm glow spilling from the shop windows… it feels like a secret shared on a chilly night. Does it not remind you of a comforting ember against the deep blue night, offering a glimpse into a hidden world within each storefront? Editor: It really does! Like tiny stages set for different stories. Curator: Exactly! It is a dance between light and shadow. Cortès is less interested in literal depiction. More concerned with the poetry of the moment. See how the brushstrokes almost dissolve into the scene itself? It's less about precision, more about feeling. It reminds me of when I stand under a streetlight, and everything is not clear; instead, a moment frozen within my senses. Do you follow my meaning? Editor: I think so! The vagueness adds to the memory-like feeling. The eye fills in the gaps. What do you make of the column of Bastille here? Curator: Consider how the artist uses the city's symbols, not just as landmarks, but to whisper tales of history and change! Like ancient totems holding secret city lives and moments! Editor: I never would have considered that! Thanks, it changes the mood quite a bit. Curator: My pleasure! Art is not only what we look at, but also what stares back at us.