La Conversation

In an opulent salon, a woman in a blue dress casts her gaze downward.
A striking cornflower blue.
It is a gown of the latest fashion, lavishly adorned with tiers of ruffles.

Before her stands a gentleman in an evening suit.
Gripping the back of a chair, he leans in toward her.
A taut silence lingers between them.

The artist behind this work is Jean Béraud.
Yet he was not a painter from the beginning.

Born in Russia, he moved to Paris following the death of his father.
As a young man, he studied law, aspiring to become an advocate.

Then came the year 1870.
The Franco-Prussian War broke out.

Paris was besieged.
Béraud enlisted in the Garde Mobile to defend the city and served in uniform.
What did he witness amidst the ravages of war?

Once peace returned,
he abandoned the path of law
and threw himself into the world of art.

His chosen subject was the city of Paris itself.
Frequenting the same cafés as Manet and Degas, he watched the urban landscape evolve.
Béraud referred to Paris as his "mistress."
He was a tireless observer, roaming every corner of the capital.

At times, he would hire a carriage for hours on end.
From within, he would swiftly sketch passersby and vignettes glimpsed through windows.
So deeply was he captivated by the city that he cultivated this peculiar habit.

He also moved comfortably through high society.
On one occasion, he even served as a second when the writer Marcel Proust fought a duel.
The brilliant soirées.
The romantic games and psychological masks displayed there.
He observed it all in quiet contemplation.