Gezicht op Parijs 1885

Alexis Forel created this view of Paris as an etching, a process that employs acid to cut into the metal plate. Forel’s Paris exists in a moment of transformation, a cityscape caught between the weight of history and the relentless push of modernity. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were marked by rapid industrialization and urbanization, and Paris was at the epicenter of these changes. We see the iconic silhouette of Notre Dame cathedral in the distance. But in the foreground is the Seine River, busy with barges and construction, full of the labor required to build and maintain a modern metropolis. Forel captures Paris not as a static monument but as a living, breathing entity constantly in flux. Forel’s print invites us to reflect on the lived experiences of those who shaped the city. It asks us to consider the human cost of progress and the emotional impact of urban development on the lives of ordinary people.