Rue de Lyon 

Edouard Cortes captured the Rue de Lyon with oil on canvas, using techniques that were traditional for his time, yet vividly evocative of modern urban life. The texture is smooth yet alive, the rapid brushstrokes capturing the reflections on the wet pavement, bustling figures, and the soft glow of streetlights and shop windows. Cortes’s method involves layering, each stroke of oil paint carefully placed to suggest movement and atmosphere. The slickness of the road and the reflections suggest a recently passed rain shower, emphasizing the dynamic energy of the city. Cortes was part of a tradition of painting *en plein air*, bringing his easel out into the urban landscape. However, he often completed the paintings in his studio, adding layers of detail from memory and sketches. This approach blends direct observation with artistic interpretation, creating a romanticized view of Paris that was popular with the bourgeoisie, eager to celebrate their consumerist lifestyle. Ultimately, Cortes's work reminds us that even a traditional medium like oil paint can be used to capture and reflect the changing social and economic conditions of the modern world.