Lot 103: Etienne Tournés , French 1857-1931 Hundredth Anniversary of July 14th, Bastille Day oil on canvas

signed TOURNÉS (lower left) oil on canvas

measurements 72 3/8 by 98 3/8 in. alternate measurements 184 by 250 cm

As elaborate and exuberant demonstrations of national pride, nineteenth century celebrations of Bastille Day are credited with ushering in the Belle Epoque. Charles Rearick provides a compelling account of the palpable excitement that pervaded the first 14 Juillet: "A warm, sunny day, it was a holiday unlike any other. Not even a rainstorm in the evening could spoil it. In Paris it had begun with a volley of cannon shots at 8 am; in the country, several hours earlier, villagers had awakened to fanfares of rifle fire and ringing church bells; firecrackers and band music followed. Streets were bedecked with flags and bunting, and in some places banners, garlands and triumphal arches as well. Parts of central Paris became a gala stage set, a sparkling mosaic of red, white and blue. At night, gas lamps and electric lights and Venetian lanterns brought a rare cheering radiance to main streets and squares. Fireworks from six locations emblazoned and bombarded the night sky. No one could take July 14, 1880 as just another day" (Pleasures of the Belle Epoque, Yale University, 1985, p. 3). In Hundredth Anniversary of July 14th, Bastille Day, Etienne Tournes aptly captures the collective energy of the vibrant holiday. He successfully employs a ground level perspective to emphasize the density of the raucous crowd, forcing the viewer into the scene, perhaps seated just behind the man gesturing to the colorful balloons. Influenced by the development of photography, this perspective also emphasizes the co-mingling of many different classes and genders, a distinctly late nineteenth century phenomenon linked with the advent of modernity.