Opera, Paris 

Edouard Cortes painted this scene of the Paris Opera using oil on canvas, a traditional combination for the time. But think about what it takes to make such an image. Cortes was part of a generation of artists, sometimes called “painters of modern life”, who took the rapidly industrializing city as their subject. He captured the way new forms of transport and the advent of electric light transformed the Parisian streets. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the mood is set by the reflections on the wet asphalt. The artist has used thick, loose brushstrokes to evoke the dynamism of the scene. There are very few hard lines, which gives the impression of a fleeting moment. The painting appears effortless, but is in fact the product of a highly-trained hand. It is only through understanding the materiality and making of the artwork that we can begin to appreciate its full meaning.