The Grands Boulevards 

Editor: We’re looking at Edouard Cortes’s “The Grands Boulevards,” an oil painting that perfectly captures a bustling Parisian street scene, even without knowing the precise year it was painted. There's almost a photographic quality to it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, Cortes. A master of capturing fleeting moments! What I find so compelling is the light. Notice how he plays with the reflections on the wet pavement, giving the impression of a city alive and breathing, regardless of a specific time. He transforms the everyday into something almost magical. You know, when I look at it, I can almost hear the clip-clop of hooves on the cobblestones and the murmur of the crowd. Editor: It really does bring you there! The way he's suggested all those people, with just a few brushstrokes – it’s amazing! I’m also interested in how he gives the bare trees a presence that adds to the painting’s narrative. Curator: Exactly! The trees, practically skeletal, hint at the season—late autumn or early winter, perhaps? This attention to seasonal detail gives it depth and nuance. To me, his streetscapes feel less like snapshots and more like a diary entry of urban life. I get a sense of him *feeling* the pulse of the city, rather than just recording it. Do you see how that might set him apart from a pure landscape painter? Editor: Absolutely! It is definitely not just another cityscape. I now perceive a distinct difference between observing a scene and deeply immersing oneself in it to genuinely capture its atmosphere. Thank you! Curator: And thank you for noticing! That makes it worth experiencing together.