Foyer van de Comédie-Française tijdens het Beleg van Parijs in 1870-1871 after 1870

James Tissot created this print, "Foyer van de Comédie-Française tijdens het Beleg van Parijs in 1870-1871," capturing a moment during a tumultuous period in French history. The Franco-Prussian War and the subsequent siege of Paris deeply affected French society, seeping into its art and culture. Here, we see a figure reclining in what seems to be a state of ennui. Note the opulence of the room; the busts, the patterned screen, the chaise lounge. Tissot, a contemporary realist, often depicted scenes of bourgeois life, and while this looks like that, the pallor of war hangs over this room. The siege created immense hardship, especially for the working class, but here, the figure seems untouched, lost in their own world. Tissot fled to London shortly after this, but he returned to Paris later in his life. This print opens up a window into the complexities of class and identity during wartime, prompting us to reflect on how different segments of society experience conflict and upheaval.