Boulevard et Porte Saint Denis, Olio su Cartoncino Intelato 1855

Ippolito Caffi captured this evocative night scene on the Boulevard et Porte Saint Denis using oil on prepared cardboard, a common choice for painters looking for a portable, affordable surface. The materiality here is fascinating. Look at the way the oil paint, applied in thin layers, allows the light to shimmer and reflect. The smooth surface of the card intensifies this effect. The texture of the paint itself is quite delicate, almost ephemeral. Caffi’s technique captures the fleeting moments of urban life, its movement, and its glow. Consider how the industrial production of cardboard allowed artists to rapidly create these kinds of ‘impressions’. The portability meant that artists like Caffi could more easily capture images of modern life. This painting embodies the dynamism of the 19th century, born from the relationship between artistic vision, material innovation, and the pulse of the modern city.