Workers' Daughters on the Outer Boulevard (Illustration for Émile Zola's "L'Assommoir") 1877 - 1878

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this illustration for Émile Zola's "L'Assommoir" in France. It depicts a group of working-class women, likely on an outing, being observed by a man in a top hat. Renoir captures a scene from the margins of Parisian society. Consider the socio-economic context of 19th-century France; Zola's novel, and consequently Renoir's image, is embedded in a moment of rapid industrialization and urbanization. It's also the age of Realism in the arts. Both Zola and Renoir aimed to depict life as it was, particularly for those living in poverty. The image creates meaning through its subtle class commentary. The women, dressed in their best clothes, are still visibly distinct from the wealthier man scrutinizing them. The location, the 'outer boulevard,' places them on the periphery of both the city and polite society. To fully understand this work, one could explore the history of French social realism, and the illustrated novel as a medium. The image is a lens through which we can examine the social fabric of 19th-century Paris.