Under Emperor Napoleon III’s reign, Baron Georges Haussmann redesigned and reconstructed Paris by adding boulevards and green spaces, creating the city that we recognize today. The French Impressionists reacted to the new cityscape and painted in their signature style to capture Paris’ flourishing popularity and effervescent atmosphere. This lecture addresses the vantage points from which many Impressionist painters worked and includes a discussion of how they captured Paris’ major hubs through the use of windows and window-like perspectives, including: the expansive boulevards; the Gare Saint-Lazare; and the views and bridges along the Seine River.
