Jardin du Luxembourg en man bij een reclamezuil te Parijs 1858

Gerrit Postma created this pencil drawing of the Jardin du Luxembourg and a man by an advertising column in Paris. Paris in the mid-19th century was a city of contrasts, where grand boulevards met crowded side streets and where the newly rich mingled with the desperately poor. Postma’s sketch invites us to consider how these social divisions were playing out in the public spaces of the city. The Jardin du Luxembourg was not simply a park but also a stage for social display and a signifier of wealth and status. Juxtapose this with the figure of a man seated by an advertising column: is he resting, waiting, or perhaps seeking refuge? It's a scene that encapsulates the changing urban landscape of 19th-century Paris. Historians delve into sources such as period newspapers, city plans, and social surveys to piece together the narrative of an era. Only then can we begin to appreciate the complexities of a seemingly simple sketch such as this.