Boulevard des Italiens,Morning_Sunlight 1897

Camille Pissarro captured the bustling Boulevard des Italiens in Paris using oil on canvas. Pissarro, of Jewish heritage, often felt like an outsider in Parisian society, which might explain his inclination to observe and document city life from a distanced perspective. Here, the boulevard is teeming with activity: horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, and early buses fill the streets. The painting subtly highlights the class divisions of the time; the bourgeoisie, the middle and upper classes, are the ones who could afford transport and leisurely strolls. The working class is perhaps less visible, yet their presence is felt through the labor required to maintain this urban spectacle. Pissarro once said, “Everything is beautiful; all that matters is to be able to interpret.” He transforms the mundane into something beautiful, encouraging us to see the city—with all its social complexities—as a vibrant, breathing entity. It's a view that both celebrates the dynamism of modern life and hints at its underlying inequalities.