Jean Béraud (French painter) 1849 - 1935
Le Boulevatd Saint-Denis, Paris, 1899
oil on canvas
14 7/8 x 21 5/8 in. (38 x 55 cm.)
signed Jean Béraud and dated 1899 (lower right)
private collection
Catalogue Note
Le boulevard Saint-Denis à Paris depicts a typical, busy Parisian street at the turn of the century. In the background, set against the hustle and bustle of the modern boulevards of Baron Haussman, stands the Porte St Denis which was one of two triumphal arches commissioned by Louis XIV to commemorate his military victories. The Saint-Denis arch was erected between 1671 and 1674 and inspired the design of the more famous Arc de Triomphe. In the present painting the view looks East from the end of boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle down boulevard Saint Denis.
The wide streets and tree lined boulevards of Hausmann's Paris feature prominently in Béraud's work. Like the celebrated impressionist Gustave Caillebotte, Béraud revealed himself as a painter of modern life conveying the many pleasures that the new city offered to Parisians. Described by a critic as "a sophisticated Parisian who knows where to go and has the gift for observation," Béraud drew his subjects from all aspects of city life observing the 'beau monde' as they paraded through the streets of Paris mingling with the shop girls, delivery boys and tradesmen, his lively brushstrokes capturing this animated scene for posterity.
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