Summary Of T. J. Clark The Environs Of Paris

In the reading “The Environs of Paris” by T.J. Clark, Clark speaks about Paris and the surrounding areas, Argenteuil in particular. Beginning in the 1860s, modernity was starting to take precedence. Throughout the reading, Clark provides insight on where examples of modernism may have been detected, if not by everyone, at least by the individuals that could stand to be in the presence of the petite bourgeoisie. These depictions were rare, and Clark sought out to investigate why this was so. The way a landscape painting was to be understood was particularly affected when the railway lines were laid down. The train gave citizens the chance to experience travel in a new manner which caused the landscape of the city to change. With the new additions to the city, Clark provided several examples as to how the environs of Paris affected artists as well as the casual observer.
For instance, he states that “the ironic commentator wished to make it clear that he for one was not deceived.
There was no nature, he believed, where there were Parisians,” (Clark, 2007, p. 104). One of the many commentators mentioned, Monsieur Bartavel, was confused by what he saw. He felt as if the city and its surroundings were an illusion of sorts, what one saw was not what they were given. Instead of being welcomed with greenery and sun, he was presented with factories, rude individuals, and too much sun without any shade (Clark, 2007, p. 105). In addition to the changing landscape, there was also a struggle in determining what classified as bourgeois and what did not. The urge to redefine the middle class citizen was resisted as every individual did not know the true definition of Paris and what it entailed. This was deemed as ignorance, the ignorance was linked to vulgarity, and the trait of being vulgar caused said individual to become incapable of being called
bourgeois. Moving forward, Clark notes that the population of Argenteuil began to grow in the 1870s (Clark, 2007, p. 118). However, most of these individuals were not bourgeois or just Parisian. They were searching for work rather than identity due to the fact that factories were becoming quite common around the area. It was a question as to whether or not these factories made the town look “industrial” (Clark, 2007, p. 119). The best indication of these was to be found in the work of Impressionists, but that was too vague. Artists had varying perceptions in regards to these changes which caused a feeling of bewilderment. Even though this was the case, the stampede of individuals seeking pleasure marked the town as well. Argenteuil was the go to spot for recreation purposes as well as served as a place for artists to congregate. Artists such as Monet and Manet had their own representations, it was important to do so as landscapes were the most popular genre at the time. Artists agreed that “nature possessed consistency now, in a way that nothing else did. It had a presence and a unity which agreed profoundly with the act of painting,” (Clark, 2007, p. 123). Clark goes on to note that it was proper for the landscape of the nineteenth century to be celebrated for its orderliness and domesticity (Clark, 2007, pp. 127-128). Industry could be incorporated into works of art, yet, the act of labor could not be depicted. Essentially, Clark aimed to reinforce the importance of the lower middle class and showcase how recreation took hold during this time period. The controversy of revision to social structure and how art managed to represent all of this begged to be recognized.