Artwork
La Belle Jardinère: le magasin de la rue de la Cité pendant sa demolition, Paris
La Belle Jardinère: le magasin de la rue de la Cité pendant sa demolition, Paris is a photography by the Impressionist artist Charles Marville. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
La Belle Jardinère: le magasin de la rue de la Cité pendant sa demolition, Paris, is a photograph documenting the transformation of Paris during the 19th-century urban renewal program. It captures the demolition of La Belle Jardinère, an early Parisian department store.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph shows the mid-demolition state of La Belle Jardinère's storefront, with exposed wood and plaster, amidst a dust-filled atmosphere. A leaning ladder adds to the sense of abandonment. The image conveys the tangible loss of old Paris as modernization progresses.
Technique & Style
Through careful composition, the photographer highlights the contrast between the crumbling past and the impending future. The focus on everyday details, such as peeling posters, personalizes the urban upheaval, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
History & Provenance
Taken in the 1860s by Charles Marville, the photograph is part of his documentation of Paris's transformation under the urban renewal program. The site was cleared to construct a new hospital, symbolizing the city's shift towards modernity.
Context
This photograph is set against the backdrop of Haussmann's renovations of Paris, which drastically altered the city's landscape. Marville's work provides a visual record of this transitional period, capturing the demise of historic structures like La Belle Jardinère.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Marville, the pseudonym of Charles François Bossu, was a French photographer, who mainly photographed architecture, landscapes and the urban environment.
Opéra (Rostral Column)
View of the Small Grotto toward the Deer Pond, Bois de Boulogne
Sky Study, Paris
Portico of the Château d'Anet, now at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris
Fontaine du Jardin du Luxembourg (grotte de Marie de Médécis)
Rue Jean-de-Beauvais. Vue prise de la rue des Écoles vers la boulevard Saint-Germain, en travaux
Tympanum, Strasbourg Cathedral
Rue de la Ferronnerie
