From the Sixth Floor 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this watercolor painting, titled "From the Sixth Floor," depicting an aerial view of a street at night. The composition asks us to consider the social conditions of urban life in France at the turn of the century. The gaze of the figure in the window draws us into the image. The street below is lit dimly by gas lamps. We see a few figures walking. The viewer is placed in a high vantage point, removed from the street life below, yet also intimate. The image emphasizes the social divisions inherent in modern city life. Steinlen regularly contributed to journals associated with anarchist politics in France, and his art often challenged existing social norms. He uses the image here to critique the isolation of urban life and the social inequalities inherent in the modern city. To understand Steinlen's work better, we might research the illustrated press of Paris. In doing so, we can appreciate how art is contingent on social and institutional contexts.