The Shower 1894

Félix Vallotton created this woodcut called ‘The Shower’ sometime in the 1890s. It's a striking image of Parisian life, all done in stark black and white. Vallotton was Swiss but he made a name for himself in France, right in the middle of a big debate about what art should be. As you can see, there's a crowd of people with umbrellas, but it's not just a simple street scene. The artist leaves out a lot of details, creating a very modern, flattened look. At the time, the Académie des Beaux-Arts was still a powerful institution that promoted traditional, realistic art. So Vallotton and other artists who were experimenting with new styles were often seen as challenging the establishment. They exhibited in alternative spaces, and promoted radical ideas in small literary magazines. To understand Vallotton, we need to dig into the social history of late 19th-century Paris. Old institutions were being questioned. Art was no longer just about beauty, it was about making a statement. Historians use exhibition reviews, artists’ letters, and other documents to interpret art and understand its meaning.