Rue des Oiseaux, Marché des Enfants-Rouges, le soir. 3ème arrondissement 1907 - 1908

Frédéric Houbron captured this street scene, Rue des Oiseaux, in the third arrondissement of Paris with watercolor and graphite. Look at how the gray washes build up the scene, each mark making a decision. This piece feels like it was made not with ease, but with a commitment to the process. See the grays and browns that dominate the color palette. The surface is left raw in places, while in others, the strokes are thick, opaque. You can imagine Houbron using a soft brush for the buildings, and a finer one for the figures in the distance. Consider that one dark stroke on the building to the left—it anchors the composition, pulling you down the narrow street. Like a snapshot, Houbron reminds us that artmaking is an ongoing conversation. It makes me think of Gustave Caillebotte and his paintings of Parisian streets, exploring similar themes of urban life. But where Caillebotte is crisp, Houbron is hazy, reminding us that paintings are always up for grabs, multiple interpretations always in play.