Gare St. Lazare 

Jacques Beurdeley created this print, Gare St. Lazare, sometime in the early 20th century. Beurdeley was a product of his time, born into an upper-middle-class family with artistic leanings in post-impressionist France. This print captures the bustling energy of a Parisian train station, shrouded in steam and shadow, a scene of modernity. But who exactly did this modernity serve? The station, a transient place, was a nexus of class and gender. Factories that drove industrial growth relied on a labor force that was largely female. Yet, the rapid pace of change also brought displacement. The Gare St. Lazare, while symbolizing progress, was also a place where people from all walks of life came together, often driven by necessity and unequal opportunity. The print's subdued tones and obscured figures evoke a sense of anonymity and ambiguity. What did it mean to belong in a society undergoing such rapid transformation? The steam obscures the tracks and the buildings. Beurdelay captures a moment where the future is uncertain, leaving us to consider the human cost of progress.