The Arc de Triomphe Friedland Avenue 

Gustave Loiseau made this oil painting, *The Arc de Triomphe Friedland Avenue,* sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The Arc de Triomphe, built in the early 1800s, was a monument to Napoleon’s military victories, meant to glorify French imperial power. Loiseau’s painting offers a softened, Impressionistic rendering of this iconic landmark. By the time Loiseau painted this, France had gone through enormous social and political changes, including the end of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic. His work shows the monument as part of the everyday life of Paris. Rather than a symbol of military might, it’s a backdrop to the street scene. We see the trees lining the broad avenue and the buses and pedestrians making their way in and out of view. Historical archives, newspapers, and social commentaries, along with the artist’s other works, can give us more insight into the meaning of this image at the time it was made. Examining the painting through the lens of its social and institutional context reveals how its meaning has shifted over time.