The Belle Époque era
Aug 18, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
The Snake Charmer, 1907, by Henri Rousseau
Picture it: a time of no worries, where the champagne flowed all night, neon lights set the night sky a blaze, and dancing kept a vibrant tempo to dynamic tunes. Sounds like a modern day Vegas party perhaps, but we’re really describing a night over a hundred years ago, during the Belle Époque era. Let us walk you through this magical time in more detail and share your thoughts in the comments!
The Belle Époque era
The name of the genre itself translates from French as the “beautiful era” and it fully lives up to its title. The period was borne out of a political transition in France, bringing an unexpected time of peace. Napoléon III’s army was defeated in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War, ushering in a series of governments. Now one would think that would incite more chaos, but for the French people it created a backdrop for a laissez-faire lifestyle that guided the Belle Époque age up until the onset of WWI in 1914.
The World’s first movie poster, 1895
It was a time characterized by intense optimism, exploration, and technological advancements. While it’s a Paris-centric trend, a very similar movement occurred in America under the name of the Gilded Age. To understand this beautiful time, consider the context: Paris hosted two major exhibitions in both 1889 and 1900, the city’s urban greenscape project (designed by Haussmann and originally commissioned by Napoléon) was completed, and the Eiffel Tower emerged as the stunning symbol for a dynamic city. In short, Paris had risen from the ashes stronger than ever and everyone was celebrating!
Art naturally flourished under these kinds of conditions and exhibits showcasing Japanese and African designs influenced the great artists of the day. Expressionism and Post-Impressionism were two of the more popular styles, with Art Nouveau stemming from this period as well. Artists like Mattise, Henri Rousseau, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec came into their own during these years. And with the death of Van Gogh in 1890, new forms of expressing the world became all the more valuable.
Loie Fuller, modern dance innovator
Painting and sculpture weren’t the only forms that were evolving during the Belle Époque era. An affluent population craved new forms of entertainment and modern dance, stage lighting, and cinema followed suit. The now infamous Moulin Rouge debuted the can-can dance and soon cabarets and burlesque shows across Paris were choreographing new performances to reflect these different tastes.
Naturally, scientific and other technological advancements inspired these artistic developments. The horseless carriage, neon lights, cinema, aviation, radioactivity, and antibiotics name just a few of the advancements made during these years. However, the shiny surface the Belle Époque era created was just skin-deep. Beneath all the glitz and glamour stirred a poverty-stricken population. While originally people seemed content to ignore that plight, the crushing start of WWI soon changed that attitude. On the one hand though, this complete detachment from the negative sides of reality makes the Belle Époque era so special. It captures a society’s unadulterated optimism; shows what a culture that has not been impacted by world-wide conflicts can create. In fact, the time period itself wasn’t actually named during its heyday, but rather once combat began and people looked longingly to the better times.
Cause A Frockus would like to thank their tremendous resources: About.com, BBC, Britannica, and the people who post their imagery without restriction.
For our readers: What do you love about this era?