Les grands boulevards 

Editor: Let’s take a look at Jean Béraud's *Les grands boulevards*. Painted with oils, it seems to capture a Parisian street scene frozen in a fleeting moment. I find the atmosphere rather subdued, perhaps because of the muted colors? What’s your read on this piece? Curator: Subdued is interesting… I almost feel the opposite! For me, it’s bursting with unspoken stories, like a stage set before the actors arrive. The overcast sky does soften things, true, but the people are meticulously painted. Notice how each character seems caught in their own private narrative? I wonder what’s so captivating in the newspaper that fellow is reading… Editor: That’s a great point about the individual stories. Do you think the lack of clear narrative is intentional, more about conveying an impression than telling a story? Curator: Precisely! It's peak Impressionism—all about capturing the ephemeral. Think about what it meant to stroll down the *boulevard* during that period. You were displaying yourself and reading the city—architecture, posters, other people. How different is reading a physical paper than scrolling through Twitter? Editor: It's a much slower and tangible experience. The figures standing at the kiosk become part of the street furniture, reflecting and shaping the identity of Paris itself, don't they? It must have felt exciting to witness so much growth in Paris. Curator: It definitely seems to have! Maybe, capturing such an authentic sense of Parisian identity helped inspire the artistic eye! Béraud clearly relished rendering that electric mix. What will be captured of us, I wonder? Editor: Maybe a TikTok video of a crowded train commute... or, better, one perfect street scene in a painting? Curator: One can only hope, eh?