Social and Historical Contexts - Nineteenth-century France: Transformation and Modernity

6 important questions on Social and Historical Contexts - Nineteenth-century France: Transformation and Modernity

What were the two sides to the modernisation of Paris?

On one hand, it was depicted as beautiful, bright and fun, with many happy inhabitants; on the other hand, there was loneliness, alienation and alcoholism caused by the newly individualised society, due to which many people lost their homes and lives.

Who was the patron who ordered for Paris to be modernised?

Emperor Napoleon III.

Which effects did the invention of photography have on paintings?

It forced artists to display more ingenuity, since cameras could already easily depict the world. On one hand, this inspired the Impressionists to create something entirely different and more emotional. On the other hand, it drove some artists to start painting as realistically as possible and create photo-like paintings.
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Which two parts were there to the mid-nineteenth century according to the poet Baudelaire?

The element of the eternal and the element of the transistory, considering that the world was changing rapidly yet some things would always stay the same.

Which themes did Manet prefer for his paintings?

He liked to depict everyone, as they were the products of their social and historical contexts, and those who used to be despised by the public (beggars, alcoholics, the bourgeoisie) were celebrated by him. This is what he considered modernity.

How did nineteenth-century French painters convey a sense of Modernity?

Inspired by photography, they changed their painterly application, cropped their compositions, used modern characters and depicted modern, urban leisure spaces.

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