Baudelaire and Modernity in Paris
Point C: Baudelaire and the Birth of Impressionism in Painting
and Prose Poetry
Baudelaire's essay, Le Peintre de la vie moderne, or "The
Painter of Modern Life", is concerned with the concept of what came
to be known as Impressionism. Baudelaire was recognized, after his
death, as a visionary of the
new school of painting. He described this type of painter as a "hero
of modern life." He embraced the notion of painting that captured
the fluidity and ambiguity of the city and its emotional contexts.
Such themes are present in much of Baudelaire's poetry, towards
the end of his life. He began to experiment with the new genre of
Prose Poetry. Departing from the style of Les Fleurs du Mal,
he continues on the topic of urban suffering. The language is
much sharper and lacks the tangential quality of his earlier works.
In each of these poems he paints the portrait of a single or group
of city dwellers. For example, Le Yeux des pauvres is an
observation of starving workers passing by the elite cafes. They
view the opulence and decadence and are tortured. It shows the Modern
condition of great success and oppression facing each other and
coexisting in the streets.
Links
- Thesis Page
- Point A: Modernity and Baudelaire's Personal
History
- Point B: Les Fleurs du Mal as
a document of Parisian Modernity
- Point C: Baudelaire and the Birth of
Impressionism in Painting and Prose Poetry
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