Theatre des Varietes Large 

Antoine Blanchard created this painting of the Theatre des Varietes, using oil paint. Here, the composition invites us into a bustling Parisian street, wet from recent rain. Blanchard captures the scene with dynamic brushstrokes and a keen eye for light, creating a sense of movement and immediacy. The buildings loom on either side, framing the street like a stage, while the figures below add a human element, their forms blurred, suggesting the hustle of city life. Blanchard’s approach to depicting Paris focuses on the visual experience, using impressionistic techniques to convey atmosphere and mood. The reflective surfaces of the wet street play with light, mirroring the buildings and figures and flattening the picture plane. The brushwork is particularly expressive here and embodies an urban landscape. The painting challenges our notions of fixed perspective and detailed representation, instead embracing the fluidity of perception.