Book SummaryParis in Ruins, by Sebastian Smee

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Paris in Ruins

Paris Turmoil: 1860s-1870s, Siege of Paris & Paris Commune

The French Empire and Tensions During the Sixties

Smee provides important background context by describing the political and social tensions in France during the 1860s, specifically in Paris, setting the stage for the tumultuous events of the Franco-Prussian conflict and the Parisian Commune.

Haussmann's Paris Renovation and Working Class Displacement

The author argues that the groundwork for the later political upheavals was laid, in part, by the extensive Paris renovations that Napoleon III instigated and Baron Haussmann led. Smee describes the renovations as transformative. Paris was made more liveable for its wealthy inhabitants and more alluring to tourists, thanks to widened boulevards (which also allowed for government troops to move more freely throughout the city and more easily suppress riots), improved sanitation infrastructure, and gaslighting. But the renovations also severely disrupted the lives of some of Paris's poorest inhabitants, who were forced to move. To numerous people in Paris, Haussmann's changes, however dramatically effective in the short term, looked, ultimately, like the vanity project of a cynical emperor, obsessed with spectacle and unconcerned with the lives of ordinary people.

The alterations went beyond being merely cosmetic. Smee points to the rise of sex work and its effects on all women in Paris. Napoleon III's policies were intended to curb the transmission of venereal diseases and to regulate prostitution. However, the breadth of transactional sexual relationships meant that the distinctions collapsed. It became increasingly difficult, especially for women from lower-class backgrounds, to avoid association with sex work. This created serious problems for unmarried, middle-class women, who had to be conscious of where they could be seen and the kinds of activities in which they could permissibly indulge, all to maintain their reputation.

Context

• Georges-Eugène Haussmann was appointed by Napoleon III to modernize Paris. His approach was systematic and involved large-scale demolition and reconstruction, which was unprecedented at the time.
• The redesign of Paris influenced urban planning worldwide, with many cities adopting similar strategies to balance aesthetic improvements with social control mechanisms.
• The displacement disrupted established communities, breaking up social ties and support systems that had been in place for generations. This loss of community cohesion had long-term social consequences.
• The renovations were costly and contributed to the national debt, which fueled criticism that the project was financially irresponsible. The economic burden was felt by many, especially those who did not directly benefit from the changes.
• The renovations led to the displacement of many working-class residents, pushing them into poorer neighborhoods or out of the city. This economic pressure often forced women into sex work as a means of survival.
• The policies blurred the lines between different social classes of women, as the increased visibility and regulation of sex work affected perceptions of all women, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Literature and art from the era often romanticized or sensationalized the lives of sex workers, contributing to stereotypes and misconceptions about women’s roles and behaviors in society.
• Economic factors also played a role, as middle-class families often relied on the reputation of their daughters to secure advantageous marriages, which could improve their social and financial status.

Sex Industry's Impact on Women in Second Empire Paris

Smee highlights the specific challenges faced by Berthe Morisot, a painter, and her sister Edma in this fraught environment. Although from well-off families and serious about making careers as painters, they were nevertheless limited, as women of the upper bourgeoisie, in the locations they could go and in their freedom to socialize without a chaperone. Posing for painters, especially a notorious one like Manet, was particularly risqué, since it was routine to assume models were available as sex workers. Accepting Manet's invitation to pose presented Morisot with various dilemmas: not only would modeling compromise her reputation but also it could put her chances of marriage at risk.

Context

• In the 19th century, the act of modeling for artists, especially male artists, was fraught with social stigma. Models were often assumed to be of questionable morality, which could damage a woman's social standing and marriage prospects.
• Manet was known for his avant-garde approach and often controversial subjects, which challenged traditional art norms. His association with provocative themes made any involvement with him potentially scandalous.
• During the Second Empire in France, societal norms were strict, especially for women of the upper bourgeoisie. Women were expected to maintain a certain decorum and adhere to rigid social codes, which included being chaperoned in public and avoiding situations that could lead to gossip or scandal.

Paris Besieged (September 1870–January 1871)

Smee recounts the Paris Siege's impact, from both the historical and personal standpoint, on the city's inhabitants, among them the painters Manet, Morisot, and Degas.

Prussian Army's Encirclement and Siege of Paris: Impact on Daily Life

The author vividly describes how the urban landscape was transformed by the rapid sequence of events. The population swelled from 1.5 million to 2 million as panicked residents from surrounding regions rushed to find safety within the city's walls. Food was scarce from the outset. People queued for hours to gain access to any available food; the black market thrived. As the weeks elapsed, shortages intensified as the city was thrust into darkness, with gas supplies cut off and most trees cut down...

Paris in Ruins Summary How the Franco-Prussian Conflict and the Paris Commune Affected French Society, Culture, and Impressionism

Smee argues that what happened in 1870-1871 was impossible to overlook. But how should they be interpreted, and how could a society and its art understand this disaster?

The War Between France and Prussia and the Emergence of Unified Germany

The author examines the reasons for France's military's abject failures against Prussia. Smee points out that, in general, France had simply failed to come to terms with the transformative effects of the Industrial Revolution on warfare and political relations.

Fragility of France's Governmental Framework and Conservative Backlash Before War

Smee argues that France's main issue was its fractured political system, a divide that manifested itself as a fissure between the military and the civilian sphere. Napoleon III had made many liberal reforms, and by 1870 France was among the most progressive nations in Europe. But these concessions to centrists and extremists resulted in five strong political groups in France, most of them deeply suspicious of each other and all with their own ideological wish lists. Those with liberal views and those supporting republicanism saw a strong, modern military as a potential threat that might be...

Paris in Ruins Summary French Impressionists: Manet, Morisot, Courbet's Reactions to Political and Social Events

Smee focuses on the lives and work of three painters whose lives were transformed by the turbulent events of 1870-1871: Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, and Gustave Courbet.

Manet's Political Ideals and Reaction to the Disastrous Year

The author gives a nuanced account of Manet's political outlook and his response to the happenings of 1870-1871. Smee portrays Manet as a passionate republican, viscerally opposed to the authoritarianism and repression enacted by the reign of Napoleon III in the time following the coup he staged in 1851.

Manet Condemns Napoleon III Through Maximilian's Execution

In many ways, Smee argues, the Maximilian execution series was Manet's most explicitly political work. Although ostensibly a response to events that had taken place in Mexico—the disastrous culmination of Napoleon III's attempt to establish a client state in Latin America—the paintings were also a clear condemnation of Napoleon III's arrogant and cynical foreign policy and his reckless disregard for ordinary people, in Mexico but also in Paris.

In the artworks, the soldiers executing Emperor Maximilian wore French military uniforms. Their poses were lifted directly from...

Paris in Ruins Summary Impressionism Debuts to Mixed Reception Following the 1870–71 "Terrible Year"

Smee recounts the ways that the initial Impressionist show at Nadar's studio was interpreted, both as an artistic phenomenon and as a political statement.

The First Impressionist Show (Société Anonyme, 1874)

The author portrays the show as stemming from a decade-long dialogue among artists seeking to escape the hierarchical structures of government-sponsored art in France, led by the academy and its annual Salon exhibition.

Charter Gives Artists Control Over Exhibitions

Smee recounts Pissarro and Degas's work to found a fair and autonomous society for artists. Frustrated by the academy's selection-by-jury process and angered by the conservatism of recent Salons, they wanted a fresh institution in which artists themselves would take charge of the exhibition process. Their manifesto was deliberately egalitarian: it would be open to anyone willing to pay a nominal charge of five francs a month. There wouldn't be any selection criteria. Regarding the hanging of the works, the spaces would be assigned to artists by drawing lots.

In numerous respects, the Société Anonyme's agenda mirrored that of the Commune, specifically the Proudhonist belief in local autonomy. It...