Bouquinistes 

Editor: Here we have Edouard Cortes' "Bouquinistes", an oil painting capturing a Parisian street scene, probably created en plein air. The palette feels muted, autumnal... making me feel a bit melancholy, yet drawn in. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: Melancholy, yes, I feel that too. It’s funny, isn't it, how a painting can almost... hum a particular mood. For me, it's the light. See how it reflects off the wet pavement? Cortes masterfully uses that reflected light to illuminate the scene, making the everyday feel almost magical. It reminds me of a slightly blurry memory. What do you think of the way Cortes depicts the people? Editor: They seem less detailed, almost like smudges of color that gives a sense of movement... very Impressionistic! Like they're part of the atmosphere more than distinct individuals. Curator: Exactly! It’s less about specific portraits and more about capturing the general vibe, the *feeling* of being there on that particular day. Like a snapshot of a moment, of fleeting Parisian life near the Seine and Notre Dame, where booksellers display their wares. Do you get a sense of a specific era looking at this work? Editor: I do. Maybe the late 19th or early 20th century, before everything became so digitized? It’s nostalgic, romantic almost. Curator: Precisely. Cortes was the master of light of Parisian streets. Makes me want to curl up with a worn book and a steaming mug of something warm, listening to the rain. Editor: I agree. I learned so much from Cortes' street scenes. I can't believe how it seems like he invented light with his impressionistic point of view.