Promenade at Sunset, Paris 1889

Childe Hassam captured this oil on canvas painting, *Promenade at Sunset, Paris*, during his time in France. This painting encapsulates the vibrant atmosphere of Parisian high society during the late 19th century. Here, Hassam situates us behind a woman strolling through the city, accompanied by her dog, at dusk. This is the Paris of Baudelaire, a place of flâneurs and burgeoning modernity. The blurred faces and obscured gazes may make us consider the restrictive roles ascribed to women in that era, where their presence in public spaces was often mediated by social expectations and patriarchal norms. The back view of the woman evokes a sense of anonymity, and the reflection of light on the wet pavement creates an ethereal, dreamlike quality. Hassam invites us to reflect on the complexities of identity and experience within the context of a rapidly changing urban landscape.