Zicht op de Rue de la Paix in Parijs 1838

Editor: This is Louis-Julien Jacottet's "Zicht op de Rue de la Paix in Parijs," created in 1838. It’s a lithograph print on paper, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I'm immediately struck by its serenity. It's a cityscape, but there’s something so peaceful about it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the artist’s selection of the Rue de la Paix, or “Peace Street,” named so after the Napoleonic era. It embodies a very particular moment in Paris’s urban development – a planned street, intended to radiate order and progress. Now, observe how the artist emphasizes the symmetry of the buildings, framing the perspective towards the distant Vendôme Column. Does that resonate with ideas about order or power to you? Editor: I guess so, yes. It's definitely a very composed, deliberate image, not spontaneous at all. Curator: Precisely! The column itself, topped by Napoleon as Caesar, is an important symbol of power and ambition, isn't it? Juxtapose that with the “Bains” sign on the building to the left. A bathhouse indicates a concern with health, leisure, cleanliness... a very different aspect of urban life, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely, it adds an interesting layer to the scene. Curator: How do you interpret those contrasts? Jacottet provides these pieces – luxury retail versus public bathhouse; Neoclassical architecture versus daily life – and encourages us to contemplate a society in transition, trying to reconcile progress and imperial legacy. Editor: I hadn’t considered all the layers of meaning present just in a simple cityscape. It's fascinating how symbols can be embedded even in seemingly straightforward depictions. Curator: And that's the enduring power of images, isn't it? They capture a moment, but they also echo with historical and cultural weight.