1852–1870
A regime denigrated in its time and held in contempt after its fall, the Second Empire was, for a long time, associated with the decadence and superficiality of the ‘fête impériale’. Against a background of social unrest, this prosperous era was a time of splendour and of economic euphoria, of ostentation and numerous lavish celebrations that are worth revisiting. Read more.
Tom Stammers reassesses the art of the period in our September issue.
Preview the exhibition below | The top five exhibitions opening this week
Rentrée du bal (1867), Alfred Stevens. © RMN-Grand Palais
Portrait du marquis et de la marquise de Miramon et de leurs enfants (1865), James Tissot.
Le Balcon (1869), Édouard Manet. © Musée d’Orsay
La princesse Mathilde (1862), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. © Musée d’Orsay
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Why are fathers so absent from art history?