Sur Les Grands Boulevards 

Jean Béraud captured this oil on canvas, Sur Les Grands Boulevards, offering us a glimpse into Parisian life during a time of rapid social and urban transformation. The boulevards, products of Haussmann's ambitious redesign of Paris, became stages for the display of social class and modernity. Béraud's painting invites us to consider the politics of this imagery. Who were these people strolling along the boulevards? What did it mean to see and be seen in this new urban landscape? How did the boulevards transform social interactions? The painting is a snapshot of a specific time and place but it also raises questions about the broader relationship between art, society, and the institutions that shape our understanding of the world. We can research publications, archives and period newspapers to deepen our understanding of Béraud's work. The meaning of this painting will always be contingent on its social and institutional context.