Grand Prix Day (also known as Le Jour de Grand Prix) 

Childe Hassam painted “Grand Prix Day” during his time in Paris, a snapshot of leisure and spectacle. This was a Paris defined by rapid industrialization and stark class divisions, and the Grand Prix was an event that laid these bare. Hassam's impressionistic style captures the energy of the horse-drawn carriages and the fashionable elite who occupied them. But let’s consider what's not shown here. Where are the working class Parisians who made such displays of wealth possible? How does the painting reflect or obscure the economic disparities of the time? The artist seems less interested in social critique and more in capturing a fleeting moment of beauty. And yet, this image also gives us insight into the construction of Parisian identity during this era. The Grand Prix was a stage for performing Frenchness, a display of national pride and cultural sophistication for both locals and foreigners alike. As you consider this painting, think about who is included and who is excluded from this vision of Parisian life, and how that shapes our understanding of the city's complex social fabric.