The Convent, Avenue of the Observatory c. 1870

Félix Hilaire Buhot made this print called ‘The Convent, Avenue of the Observatory’ using etching and aquatint. It’s a view in Paris, and its social context is found in the rise of secularism in the French Third Republic. Buhot gives us a gloomy picture of the convent: a dark fortress against the sky. This is not just reportage. The choice of viewpoint creates a sense of distance and foreboding. It invites us to reflect on the role of the church in a changing society. During the 1800s, the Catholic Church was a powerful institution. France experienced major political upheavals. Republican governments came and went. The church and state fought for influence in public life. The secular republicans saw the church as a relic of the past. They believed education and charity should be managed by the state, not the church. To understand the meaning of this image fully, we must go beyond its surface appearance, researching the political debates surrounding it. This allows us to appreciate the artist's critical perspective on the shifting power dynamics of his time.