Angle rue Mabillon et rue Clément, en 1907. 5ème et 6ème arrondissements 1907

Frédéric Houbron captured a slice of Parisian life in 1907 with watercolor. Look at how the colors melt into each other, creating a luminous, airy quality. I imagine Houbron standing on the corner, squinting at the scene before him, trying to capture the light as it bounces off the buildings and the posters, wet-on-wet. What's great is that the way the colors bleed feels a bit like memory itself. The buildings and signs and everything start to slip away. There’s a tenderness here, a softness, a way of seeing that reminds me of other painters like Bonnard or Vuillard, who were also interested in capturing fleeting moments of everyday life. It's like Houbron is saying, "Look, this is what it felt like to be here, right now." I like to think these artists are all in conversation, inspiring each other across time. And painting? It is a kind of time travel.