Voyeurism and spectacle were key to the wealthy upper classes of the Second Empire.
1852 - 1870
videos + essays
Grand boulevards, glittering interiors, and the growth of the leisure class in a transformed Paris.
Thomas Couture, Romans of the Decadence
Like other academic artists, Couture draws a subject from ancient Rome, but chooses decadence, not heroism.
Charles Garnier, The Paris Opéra
Seeing and being seen: the opera was a place of voyeurism and spectacle among the prosperous classes of the city.
Haussmann the Demolisher and the creation of modern Paris
Haussman bulldozed the ancient, winding streets of the medieval city to bring law, order, and hygiene to Paris.