In conjunction with our Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment exhibition, join us for a talk with architectural historian Esther da Costa Meyer. During the second half of the 19th-century, Paris was in the throes of a vast project of urban renewal. Gleaming new boulevards, public illumination, parks, and squares radically altered both the appearance and experience of the city. But this transformation did not mean the same thing for everyone. Its impact was felt differently by varying social classes and generations, men and women, and French and foreign residents. In order to probe these perspectives, written records need to be supplemented with a variety of sources such as paintings, etchings, and photographs. While no single source is value-free, visual culture can paint a more diverse picture of this fascinating, multi-faceted, and ever-changing city.
Please note that high attendance is anticipated. Seating is first come, first served; advance registration does not guarantee entry. A livestream of the presentation will be available online.
About the Speaker
Esther da Costa Meyer, Professor emerita in the Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University, was the Vincent Scully Visiting Professor of Architectural History, Yale School of Architecture (2019) and the Kirk Varnedoe Visiting Professor at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts (2024). Her research has focused on issues of gender and design, as well as the architectural practices of old colonial powers and the resilient cultures of resistance in colonized nations. Her book Dividing Paris: Urban Renewal and Social Inequality, 1852-1870 was published by Princeton University Press in 2022. Her curatorial work has included Frank Gehry: On Line, at the Princeton University Art Museum (2008), and at the Jewish Museum in New York, Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design (2016) and The Sassoons (co-curated, 2023). In recent years, her teaching has centered on architecture’s complicity with climate change, as well as the architecture of refugee camps around the world.