Belle Époque 1

Belle Époque

A French poster from 1894 by Jules Chéret thatcaptures the vibrant spirit of the Belle Époque.

The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (French pronunciation:  [bɛlepɔk];French for "Beautiful Era") was a period in French history that isconventionally dated as starting in 1871 and ending when World War Ibegan in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Third French Republic(beginning 1870), it was a period characterized by optimism, peace athome and in Europe, new technology and scientific discoveries. Thepeace and prosperity in Paris allowed the arts to flourish, and manymasterpieces of literature, music, theater, and visual art gainedrecognition. The Belle Époque was named, in retrospect, when it beganto be considered a "golden age" in contrast to the horrors of World WarI.

In the newly rich United States, emerging from the Panic of 1873, thecomparable epoch was dubbed the Gilded Age.[1] In the UnitedKingdom, the Belle Époque overlapped with the late Victorian era andthe Edwardian era. In Germany, the Belle Époque coincided with thereign of Kaiser Wilhelm II and in Russia with the reigns of AlexanderIII and Nicholas II.

Popular culture and fashions

World Fair of 1900 in Paris.

The French public's nostalgia for the Belle Époque period was basedlargely on the peace and prosperity connected with it in retrospect.Two devastating world wars and their aftermath made the BelleÉpoque appear to be a time of joie de vivre (joy of living) in contrast to20th century hardships. In contrast to the early 20th century, the BelleÉpoque was a time of relative peace and prosperity. It was also aperiod of stability that France enjoyed after the tumult of the earlyyears of the French Third Republic, beginning with France's defeat inthe Franco-Prussian War, the Paris Commune, and the fall of GeneralGeorges Ernest Boulanger. The defeat of Boulanger, and thecelebrations tied to the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, launched an era ofoptimism and affluence. French imperialism was in its prime. It was a cultural center of global influence, and itseducational, scientific and medical institutions were at the leading edge of Europe.

It was not entirely the reality of life in Paris or in France, however. France had a large economic underclass whonever experienced much of the Belle Époque's wonders and entertainments. Poverty remained endemic in Paris'urban slums and rural peasantry for decades after the Belle Époque ended. The Dreyfus Affair exposed the darkrealities of French anti-Semitism and government corruption. Conflicts between the government and the RomanCatholic Church were regular during the period.

Belle Époque 2

Grand foyer of the Folies Bergère cabaret.

Those who were able to benefit from the prosperity of the era weredrawn towards new forms of light entertainment during the BelleÉpoque, and the Parisian bourgeoisie, or the successful industrialistscalled nouveau-riches, became increasingly influenced by the habitsand fads of the city's elite social class, known popularly as Tout-Paris("all of Paris", or "everyone in Paris"). The Casino de Paris opened in1890. For Paris' less affluent public, entertainment was provided bycabarets, bistros and music halls.

The Moulin Rouge cabaret is a Paris landmark still open for businesstoday. The Folies Bergère was another landmark venue. Burlesqueperformance styles were more mainstream in Belle Époque Paris than in more staid cities of Europe and America.Liane de Pougy, dancer, socialite and courtesan, was well known in Paris as a headline performer at top cabarets.Belle Époque dancers such as La Goulue and Jane Avril were Paris celebrities, who modelled for Toulouse-Lautrec'siconic poster art. The Can-can dance was a popular 19th-century cabaret style that appears in Toulouse-Lautrec'sposters from the era.

The Eiffel Tower, built to serve as the grand entrance to the 1889 World's Fair held in Paris, became the accustomedsymbol of the city, to its inhabitants and to visitors from around the world. Paris hosted another successful World'sFair in 1900, the Exposition Universelle (1900). Paris had been profoundly changed by the French Second Empirereforms to the city's architecture and public amenities. Haussmann's renovation of Paris changed its housing, streetlayouts, and green spaces. The walkable neighbourhoods were well-established by the Belle Époque.

A 1900 cartoon from magazine Le Frou Frou(signed "Jan Duch") satirizing a style trend

favoring small breasts (a large bosom may still beacceptable in the provinces, but not in Paris!). A

"boyish figure" didn't actually become amainstream fashion ideal until the 1920s.[2]

Cheap coal and cheap labor contributed to the cult of the orchid[3] andmade possible the perfection of fruits grown under glass, as theapparatus of state dinners extended to the upper classes. Exotic feathersand furs were more prominently featured in fashion than ever before,as haute couture was invented in Paris, the center of the Belle Époque,where fashion began to move in a yearly cycle. In Paris, restaurantssuch as Maxim's Paris achieved a new splendor and cachet as placesfor the rich to parade. Maxim's Paris was arguably the city's mostexclusive restaurant. Bohemian lifestyles gained a different glamour,pursued in the cabarets of Montmartre.

French cuisine continued to climb in the esteem of European gourmetsduring the Belle Époque. The word "ritzy" was invented during thisera, referring to the posh atmosphere and clientele of the Hôtel RitzParis.[4] The head chef and co-owner of the Ritz, Auguste Escoffier, was the pre-eminent French chef during theBelle Époque. Escoffier modernized French haute cuisine, also doing much work to spread its reputation abroad withbusiness projects in London in addition to Paris. Champagne was perfected during the Belle Époque. The alcoholicspirit absinthe was cited by many Art Nouveau artists as a muse and inspiration and can be seen in much of theartwork of the time.

Large public buildings such as the Opéra Garnier devoted enormous spaces to interior designs as Art Nouveau showplaces. After the mid-19th century, railways linked all the major cities of Europe to spa towns like Biarritz,Deauville, Vichy, Arcachon and the French Riviera. Their carriages were rigorously divided into first-class andsecond-class, but the super-rich now began to commission private railway coaches, as exclusivity as well as displaywas a hallmark of opulent luxury.

Belle Époque 3

Politics

A newspaper headline for Emile Zola's openletter to the French government and the country,

condemning the treatment of Captain AlfredDreyfus during the Dreyfus Affair.

The years between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I werecharacterized by unusual political stability in western and centralEurope. Although tensions between the French and Germangovernments persisted as a result of the French loss of Alsace-Lorraineto Germany in 1871, diplomatic conferences, including the Congress ofBerlin in 1878, the Berlin Congo Conference in 1884, and theAlgeciras Conference in 1906, mediated disputes that threatened thegeneral European peace. Indeed, for many Europeans in the BelleÉpoque period, transnational, class-based affiliations were as importantas national identities, particularly among aristocrats. An upper-classgentleman could travel through much of Western Europe without apassport and even reside abroad with minimal bureaucraticregulation.[5] World War I, mass transportation, the spread of literacy, and various citizenship concerns changed this.

The Belle Époque featured a class structure that ensured cheap labor. The Paris Metro underground railway systemjoined the omnibus and streetcar in transporting the working population, including those servants who did not live inthe wealthy centers of cities. One result of this commuting was suburbanization allowing working-class andupper-class neighborhoods to be separated by large distances.

Meanwhile, the international workers' movement also reorganized itself and reinforced pan-European, class-basedidentities among the classes whose labor supported the Belle Époque. The most notable transnational socialistorganization was the Second International. Anarchists of different affiliations were active during the period leadingup to World War I. Political assassinations and assassination attempts were still rare in France (unlike in Russia) butthere were some notable exceptions, including President Marie François Sadi Carnot in 1894. A bomb was detonatedin the Chamber of Deputies of France in 1893, causing injuries but no deaths. Terrorism against civilians occurred in1894, perpetrated by Émile Henry, who killed a cafe patron and wounded several others.France enjoyed relative political stability at home during the Belle Époque. The sudden death of President FélixFaure while in office took the country by surprise, but had no destabilizing effect on the government. The mostserious political issue to face the country during this period was the Dreyfus Affair. Captain Alfred Dreyfus waswrongly convicted of treason, with fabricated evidence from French government officials. Anti-Semitism directed atDreyfus, and tolerated by the general French public in everyday society, was a central issue in the controversy andthe court trials that followed. Public debate surrounding the Dreyfus Affair grew to an uproar after the publication ofJ'accuse, a letter sent to newspapers by prominent novelist Emile Zola, condemning government corruption andFrench anti-Semitism. The Dreyfus Affair consumed the interest of the French for several years and it receivedheavy newspaper coverage.European politics saw very few regime changes, the major exception being Portugal, which experienced a republicanrevolution in 1910. However, tensions between working-class socialist parties, bourgeois liberal parties, and landedor aristocratic conservative parties did increase in many countries, and it has been claimed that profound politicalinstability belied the calm surface of European politics in the era.[6] In fact, militarism and international tensionsgrew considerably between 1897 and 1914, and the immediate prewar years were marked by a general armamentscompetition in Europe. Additionally, this era was one of massive overseas colonialism, known as the NewImperialism. The most famous portion of this imperial expansion was the Scramble for Africa.

Belle Époque 4

Science and technology

Peugeot Type 3 built in France in 1891.

The world's first movie poster, for comedyL'Arroseur Arrosé, 1895.

20th century video telephony as imagined inFrance in 1910.

The Belle Époque was an era of great scientific and technologicaladvancement in Europe and the world in general. Inventions of theSecond Industrial Revolution that became generally common in thisera include the perfection of lightly sprung, noiseless carriages in amultitude of new fashionable forms, which were superseded towardsthe end of the era by the automobile, which was for its first decade aluxurious experiment for the well-heeled,[7] French automobilemanufacturers such as Peugeot were already pioneers in automobilemanufacturing. Edouard Michelin invented removable pneumatic tiresfor bicycles and automobiles in the 1890s. The scooter and moped arealso Belle Époque inventions.

A number of French inventors patented products with a lasting impacton modern society. After the telephone joined the telegraph as avehicle for rapid communication, French inventor Édouard Belindeveloped the Belinograph, or Wirephoto, to transmit photos bytelephone. The electric light began to supersede gas lighting, and neonlights were invented in France.

France was a leader of early cinema technology. The cinématographewas invented in France by Léon Bouly and put to use by Auguste andLouis Lumière, brothers who held the first film screenings in theworld. The Lumière brothers made many other innovations incinematography. It was during this era that the motion pictures weredeveloped, though these did not become common until after WorldWar I.

Although the aeroplane remained a fascinating experiment, France wasa leader in aviation. France established the world's first national airforce in 1910. Two French inventors, Louis Breguet and Paul Cornu,made independent experiments with the first flying helicopters in 1907.

It was during this era that biologists and physicians finally came tounderstand the germ theory of disease, and the field of bacteriologywas established. Louis Pasteur was perhaps the most famous scientistin France during this time. Pasteur developed antibiotics and a rabies vaccine. Mathematician and physicist HenriPoincaré made important contributions to pure and applied mathematics, and also published books for the generalpublic on mathematical and scientific subjects. Marie Skłodowska-Curie worked in France, winning the Nobel Prizefor Physics in 1903, and the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. Physicist Gabriel Lippmann invented integralimaging, still in use today.

Art and literatureIn 1890, Vincent Van Gogh died. It was during the 1890s that his paintings achieved the admiration that had eluded them during Van Gogh's life, first among other artists, then gradually among the public. Reactions against the ideals of the Impressionists characterized visual arts in Paris during the Belle Époque. Among the post-Impressionist movements in Paris were the Nabis, the Salon de la Rose + Croix, the Symbolist movement (in music as well as visual art), Fauvism, and early Modernism. Between 1900 and 1914, Expressionism took hold of many artists in

Belle Époque 5

Paris and Vienna. Early works of Cubism and Abstraction were exhibited. Foreign influences were being stronglyfelt in Paris as well. The official art school in Paris, the Ecole des Beaux Arts, held an exhibition of Japaneseprintmaking that changed approaches to graphic design, particular posters and book illustration (Aubrey Beardsleywas influenced by a similar exhibit when he visited Paris during the 1890s). Exhibits of African tribal art alsocaptured the imagination of Parisian artists at the turn of the 20th century.Art Nouveau is the most popularly recognized art movement to emerge from the period. This largely decorative style(Jugendstil in central Europe), characterized by its curvilinear forms, become prominent from the mid-1890s anddominated progressive design throughout much of Europe. Its use in public art in Paris, such as the Paris Metrostations, has made it synonymous with the city.Prominent artists in Paris during the Belle Époque included post-Impressionists such as Odilon Redon, MauriceDenis, Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Emile Bernard, Henri Rousseau, Henri deToulouse-Lautrec (whose reputation improved substantially after his death), and a young Pablo Picasso.Although Impressionism in painting began well before the Belle Époque, it had initially been met with skepticism ifnot outright scorn by a public accustomed to the realist and representational art approved by the Academy. In 1890,Monet started his series Haystacks. Impressionism, which had been considered the artistic avant-garde in the 1860s,did not gain widespread acceptance until after World War I. The academic painting style, associated with theAcademy of Art in Paris, remained the most respected style among the public in Paris. Artists that appealed to theBelle Époque public include William-Adolphe Bouguereau or the British John William Waterhouse, or the idyllicRoman scenes of Lord Leighton. More progressive tastes patronized the Barbizon school plein-air painters. Thesepainters were associates of the Pre-Raphaelites, who inspired a generation of esthetic-minded "Souls".Many successful examples of Art Nouveau, with notable regional variations, were built in France, Germany,Belgium, Spain, Austria (the Vienna Secession), Hungary, Bohemia and Latvia. It soon spread around the world,including to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and the United States.European literature underwent a major transformation during the Belle Époque. Literary realism and naturalismachieved new heights. Among the most famous French realist or naturalist authors are Guy de Maupassant and ÉmileZola. Realism gradually developed into modernism, which emerged in the 1890s and came to dominate Europeanliterature during the Belle Époque's final years and throughout the interwar years. The Modernist classic In Search ofLost Time was begun by Marcel Proust in 1909, to be published after World War I. The works of German ThomasMann had a huge impact in France as well, such as Death in Venice, published in 1912. Colette shocked France withthe publication of the sexually frank Claudine novel series, and other works. Joris-Karl Huysmans, who came toprominence in the mid-1880s, continued experimenting with themes and styles that would be associated withSymbolism and the Decadent movement. Andre Gide, Anatole France, Alain-Fournier, Paul Bourget are amongFrance's most popular fiction writers of the era.Among poets, the Symbolists such as Charles Baudelaire remained at the forefront. Although Baudelaire's poetrycollection Les fleurs du mal had been published in the 1850s, it exerted a strong influence on the next generation ofpoets and artists. The Decadent movement fascinated Parisians, intrigued by Paul Verlaine and above all ArthurRimbaud, who became the archetypal enfant terrible of France. Rimbaud's Illuminations was published in 1886, andsubsequently his other works were also published, influencing Surrealists and Modernists during the Belle Époqueand after. Rimbaud's poems were the first works of free verse seen by the French public. Free verse and typographicexperimentation also emerged in Un Coup de Dés Jamais N'Abolira Le Hasard by Stéphane Mallarmé, anticipatingDada and concrete poetry. Guillaume Apollinaire's poetry introduced themes and imagery from modern life toreaders. Cosmopolis: A Literary Review had a far-reaching impact on European writers, and ran editions in London,Paris, Saint Petersburg, and Berlin.Paris' popular bourgeois theatre was dominated by the light farces of Georges Feydeau and cabaret performances. Theatre adopted new modern methods, including Expressionism, and many playwrights wrote plays that shocked contemporary audiences either with their frank depictions of everyday life and sexuality or with unusual artistic

Belle Époque 6

elements. Cabaret theater also became popular.Musically, the Belle Époque was characterized by salon music. This was not considered "serious" music but, rather,short pieces considered accessible to a general audience. In addition to works for piano solo or violin and piano, theBelle Époque was famous for its large repertory of songs (mélodies, romanze, etc.). The Italians were the greatestproponents of this type of song, its greatest champion being Francesco Paolo Tosti. Though Tosti's songs nevercompletely left the repertoire, salon music generally fell into a period of obscurity. Even as encores, singers wereafraid to sing them at "serious" recitals. In that period, waltzes also flourished. Operettas were also at the peak oftheir popularity, with composers such as Johann Strauss III, Emmerich Kalman, and Franz Lehár. Many BelleÉpoque composers working in Paris are still popular today: Eric Satie, Claude Debussy, Lili Boulanger, JulesMassenet, Gabriel Fauré, and Camille Saint-Saëns and his pupil, Maurice Ravel.Modern dance began to emerge as a powerful artistic development in theatre. Dancer Loie Fuller appeared at popularvenues such as the Folies Bergere, and took her eclectic performance style abroad as well. Sergei Diaghilev's BalletsRusses brought fame to Vaslav Nijinsky and established modern ballet technique. The Ballets Russes launchedseveral ballet masterpieces, including The Firebird and Rite of Spring (sometimes causing audience riots at the sametime).

Art Nouveaubuilding fromthe architect

JulesLavirotte,

sculptures byJean-François

Larrivé(1875–1928).

La charmeuse deSerpents (The

Snake-Charmer) (1907)by Henri Rousseau.

Modern dance (and modern stagelighting) innovator Loie Fuller.

Jules Massenetand Jean

Richepin (thelast as ApolloCitharoedus),authors of Le

Mage,premiered at

theOpéra-Comiquein Paris on 16March 1891.

Notes[1] The American term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

(1873).[2] Source: Le Frou Frou 1900 Page 128[3] "Incontestably the favorite flowers of the Belle Époque were orchids and calla lilies," (Gabriele Fahr-Becker, Art Nouveau 2007, p. 112; the

fashion for orchids is narrated in Eric Hansen, Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy, 2000.[5] A. J. P. Taylor, English History 1914–1945, and The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848–1918[6] Arno J. Mayer, The Persistence of the Old Regime: Europe to the Great War[7] The first Ford Model T, a car for the masses, rolled off the assembly line in 1908.

Belle Époque 7

Further reading• Wires, Richard. "Paris: La Belle Époque" (http:/ / libx. bsu. edu/ cdm4/ document. php?CISOROOT=/

ConspectusH& CISOPTR=319& REC=1). Conspectus of History 1.4 (1977): 60–72.On the Belle Époque architecture in Cairo, Egypt:

• Mercedes Volait Le Caire-Alexandrie: Architectures Européennes 1850–1950 (co-edition IFAO/CEDEJ 2001)• Cynthia Myntti, Paris Along the Nile: Architecture in Cairo from the Belle Époque, American University in Cairo

Press, 2003.• Trevor Mostyn, Egypt's Belle Époque: Cairo and the Age of the Hedonists, Tauris Parke Paperbacks, 2006.• A list of Cairo's Belle Époque architects 1900–1950 (http:/ / www. egy. com/ people/ 98-10-01. shtml), compiled

by Samir RaafatWikipedia:Link rot

External links• The Belle Époque in Europe (http:/ / www. la-belle-epoque. de/ )—in English, French, German, Italian; many

pictures of Art Nouveau architecture• Paris1900.lartnouveau.com (http:/ / paris1900. lartnouveau. com)—The Belle Époque in Paris through postcards

and documents• Dijon1900.blogspot.com (http:/ / dijon1900. blogspot. com)—The Belle Époque in Dijon through postcards• French Actress Postcards (http:/ / actresscards. webs. com/ )

Article Sources and Contributors 8

Article Sources and ContributorsBelle Époque  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=544972233  Contributors: ***Ria777, Ahoerstemeier, Alsandro, Anomalocaris, Asfarer, BD2412, Bagnolesdelorne, BenKidwell, Benson85, Bill the Cat 7, Brianshapiro, BrownHairedGirl, CanisRufus, Centrx, Ceoil, Charvex, Chienlit, Chris the speller, CommonsDelinker, DBWikis, Dia^, DocKrin, DocWatson42,DutchmanInDisguise, EamonnPKeane, Erianna, Fanx, Gaff, Ganymead, GenQuest, Gfoxcook, Grafen, Graham87, Gridge, Gryffindor, Gujuguy, Hakemelias, Halmstad, Hmains, Holysushi,Ilion2, Infrogmation, Ixfd64, JNW, Jagged, Japanese Searobin, Jasca Ducato, Jfitts, Jim.henderson, John, Joseph Solis in Australia, KF, Kasyapa, Khazar2, Kpjas, Kwamikagami, Levimanthys,Logologist, Lotje, Magister Mathematicae, Man vyi, Mempv, Mhavril39, Mike Rosoft, Mrk695, Mszajewski, Mwvandersteen, NYArtsnWords, Nick Number, Olivier, OttawaAC, PKM, Pearle,Pikolas, Piotrus, Pol098, Poldy Bloom, Quuxplusone, RandomCritic, Raven in Orbit, Reaverdrop, Rettetast, Robertgreer, Rorro, Ross Fraser, Runtripandfall, Sioraf, Slurpy121, Softlavender,Sparkit, Spockasia, The Anonymous One, Thiste, Timc, Tnxman307, Tothebarricades.tk, Truthseeker 85.5, Varlaam, Wereon, Wetman, Wmahan, Yamaguchi先 生, Zapvet, 에멜무지로, 177anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Vin mariani publicite156.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vin_mariani_publicite156.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:CoyauFile:Le Chateau d'eau and plaza, Exposition Universal, 1900, Paris, France 2.jpg  Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Le_Chateau_d'eau_and_plaza,_Exposition_Universal,_1900,_Paris,_France_2.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: UnknownFile:Grand-foyer.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Grand-foyer.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0  Contributors: HRNetFile:LeFrou Frou1900Page128.gif  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:LeFrou_Frou1900Page128.gif  License: Public Domain  Contributors: 1Veertje, Churchh, Ephraim33,Haabet, Kilom691, Lobo, 1 anonymous editsFile:Zola Jaccuse.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Zola_Jaccuse.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Scanné par van NuyttsFile:Peugeot Type 3.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Peugeot_Type_3.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Arnaud 25, Chienlit, Kärjens Slædebjørg,MartinHansV, Morio, OxymanFile:Cinématographe Lumière.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cinématographe_Lumière.jpg  License: unknown  Contributors: Marcellin Auzolle (1862-1942)File:France in XXI Century. Correspondance cinema.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:France_in_XXI_Century._Correspondance_cinema.jpg  License: PublicDomain  Contributors: VillemardFile:XDSC 7288-29-av-Rapp-paris-7.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:XDSC_7288-29-av-Rapp-paris-7.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0  Contributors: PlineFile:Henri Rousseau 011.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Henri_Rousseau_011.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: AndreasPraefcke, Emijrp, JMCC1,Mattes, Richard001, 1 anonymous editsFile:Loie Fuller.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Loie_Fuller.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Frederick GlasierFile:Jules Massenet & Jean Richepin auteurs du Mage.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jules_Massenet_&_Jean_Richepin_auteurs_du_Mage.jpg  License: PublicDomain  Contributors: Charles-Gilbert Martin

LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/