Bashkirtseff
Orig | CZ

Paris

Comprehensive Aktualizováno: 2025-11-20

Research Status: Comprehensive Last Updated: 2025-11-20 Diary Coverage: Throughout entire diary (1873-1884)

Overview

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. For Marie Bashkirtseff, Paris represented the center of artistic, intellectual, and social life in Europe during the late 19th century.

Significance in Marie's Life

Residence Periods

Marie's family maintained residences in Paris during several extended periods:
  • 1877-1878: Rue de Boulogne (later Avenue de Wagram)
  • 1879-1884: 206 Avenue de Villiers (their final Parisian address)

Artistic Center

Paris was the epicenter of Marie's artistic ambitions:
  • Académie Julian (Passage des Panoramas): Where Marie studied painting from 1877
  • École des Beaux-Arts: The prestigious institution she aspired to enter
  • Paris Salon: The annual art exhibition where Marie exhibited her work
  • Artist ateliers: Tony Robert-Fleury, Carolus-Duran, and other masters

Social Life

Paris provided the sophisticated society Marie craved:
  • Bois de Boulogne: Daily carriage rides to see and be seen
  • Opéra de Paris: Regular attendance at performances
  • Salons: Literary and artistic gatherings (Mme Adam's salon, etc.)
  • High society events: Balls, receptions, and social calls

Cultural Attractions

  • Museums: The Louvre, Musée de Cluny
  • Theaters: Comédie-Française, various opera houses
  • Churches: Notre-Dame, Saint-Augustin
  • Parks and promenades: Champs-Élysées, Tuileries Gardens

Historical Context (1870s-1880s)

Post-Commune Recovery

Paris in Marie's time was recovering from:
  • Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871): Prussian siege and occupation
  • Paris Commune (1871): Revolutionary government and its violent suppression
  • Third Republic establishment: Political transformation from Empire to Republic

Belle Époque Beginning

The period saw:
  • Urban transformation: Baron Haussmann's boulevards reshaping the city
  • Cultural flowering: Impressionism, literary movements, café culture
  • Social divisions: Stark contrast between elite society and working classes
  • Political ferment: Bonapartists, Royalists, Republicans competing for power

Social Geography

  • Faubourg Saint-Germain: Old aristocracy, conservative royalists
  • Champs-Élysées area: New wealth, diplomatic quarter
  • Latin Quarter: Students, bohemians, intellectual life
  • Montmartre: Artists, working class, emerging avant-garde

Marie's Relationship with Paris

Marie viewed Paris as:

  • Artistic necessity: Only place to receive proper training and recognition
  • Social stage: Where she could achieve fame and social standing
  • Intellectual stimulus: Access to latest ideas, art, and culture
  • Home and prison: She loved the city but chafed at social restrictions
  • Measure of success: Parisian recognition was ultimate validation

Contrasts with Other Cities

Marie compared Paris favorably to:
  • Nice: Pleasant but provincial, lacking artistic opportunities
  • Rome: Historical importance but conservative art establishment
  • Naples/Sorrento: Beautiful but artistically stagnant
  • Russian estates: Family roots but culturally isolated

Related Entries