La Rue 1904

Steinlen’s La Rue, captures a street scene with figures rendered in a subdued palette of browns, creams, and touches of red and blue, probably using crayon or chalk. I wonder what it was like for Steinlen as he observed this slice of Parisian life, quickly sketching the figures and horses, trying to capture their essence without getting bogged down in detail. You know, the energy of the city, its people, their movements and interactions – it's all there in those loose lines and muted tones. Look at the newsboy clutching his papers, the lady in the extravagant hat, and the horses looming in the background, all rendered with such immediacy. It reminds me a bit of Degas’s pastels, but with a grittier edge, less focused on beauty and more on the everyday hustle. There’s a sense of empathy here, a connection to the ordinary people who make up the fabric of the city. Artists like Steinlen and Degas were having a conversation across the years, pushing each other to see and feel the world in new ways. Painting is like that, you know, a continuous exchange of ideas and inspirations.