#Belle Epoque

James Tissot: Partie Carrée, 1870 Artist Stories

A Perfect World of Perfect Women in James Tissot’s Paintings

This title might be a little controversial. In fact, critics find the term demimondaine to be more accurate when describing James Tissot’s series...

Magda Michalska 23 February 2023

Painting

Beyond Madame X: Portraits by John Singer Sargent

John Singer Sargent is one of art history’s most famous portrait painters. He was born in Italy to American parents and received his formal...

Alexandra Kiely 12 January 2023

Theater & Cinema

What Did Belle Époque Artists from Midnight in Paris Look Like in Real Life?

In Woody Allen’s 2011 Midnight in Paris, the main character, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself transported back in time to Paris from the...

Rachel Witte 19 November 2022

Alexandre Cabanel, Cleopatra, 1887, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Cleopatra by Alexandre Cabanel

Queen Cleopatra is a popular subject today – as she was in the late 19th century. Alexandre Cabanel’s Cleopatra explores a single moment of her...

James W Singer 3 November 2022

Artist Stories

Vive la Belle Époque! The Story of Giovanni Boldini and Franca Florio

The history of the Belle Époque reveals many scandalous stories. Behind the elegant portraits interesting lives of grand dames and adventurous...

Giordana Goretti 9 October 2022

Design

19th-Century Parisian Advertising Posters

Parisian advertising posters have proven to be an essential element of the retro aesthetic. Reminiscent of the lifestyle of its time, this form of...

Guest Profile 9 October 2022

Art Travels

The Beautiful Parisian Scenes of Jean Béraud

In the first quarter of the 20th century, Paris was the center of artistic and intellectual activity. Artists, actors, dancers, poets, writers,...

Errika Gerakiti 9 October 2022

Art Nouveau

Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergère: Best Can-Can Paintings in Art History

Can-can paintings depict the most famous dance of La Belle Époque era. Originating in France, the Can-can, associated with skirts, petticoats, high...

Charlotte Stace 11 July 2020