Place De La Bastille

Additional Information

Born into an artistic family during what has come to be called the “Belle Epoque”—those final decades of the 19th century when Paris was the cultural capital of the world—Cortes’s nostalgia for the period permeates his paintings. Untouched by the cataclysms of the 20th century, Cortes’s paintings have the quality of dripped candle wax, the accidental beauty of a passing past as crowds of people stroll along the softy lit boulevards. The contrast between this scene and the momentous events that took place here could not be more stark. The infamous Bastille prison once stood on this site; its storming, you will recall, was the touchstone for the French Revolution. Furthermore, the July Column that dominates the center of the painting commemorates the Second French Revolution of July 1830, which saw the overthrow of the hereditary Bourbon monarchy and its replacement with a constitutional monarchy. But this evening —and it is always evening in Cortes—the clouds clear as the passing shower makes magical reflections on the avenue. People are out and about, heading home from work, going out for the evening. The lights from the restaurants at right beckon warmly.

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Please note that the first unframed photo is most accurate for color. Framed photographs are to show the frame and are not color corrected to the painting.

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