Place de la Republique, Clichi 

Edouard Cortes painted this oil on canvas depicting the Place de la Republique in Paris sometime in the early 20th century. This painter was known as the "Painter of Paris" and specialized in urban scenes. The Place de la Republique, as Cortes shows it here, was a product of the massive urban renewal projects undertaken in Paris in the late 19th century. These projects were meant to modernize the city but also to facilitate military control, after a series of popular uprisings. Note the monument visible in the distance at the center of the square. In the Third Republic of France, public monuments became powerful tools for shaping national identity. This helps explain the otherwise puzzling emphasis on French tricolor flags that we see here. Cortes’ paintings, while seemingly straightforward, remind us that urban space and public art are never politically neutral. To understand this painting more fully, we can research the history of urban planning, the politics of public monuments, and the role of art in shaping national identity. This is where historical research really deepens our understanding.