Library

In 1880, at the same time as Degas' "Dance Lessons" and Manet's solo exhibition, Huysmans's "Croquis Parisiens" was first published. The author's series of descriptions recorded the vibrant Parisian society at that time. A series of exquisite, vivid and colorful realistic literary works outline the grand scenes of the goddess arcade and circus, as well as the women and chestnut vendors wandering the streets, reconstructing a dark and shining "City of Light" in corners and fragments. Like the work of the early Impressionists, "Paris Sketches" breaks the conventional visual experience and moves towards a more delicate sensory experience and capture of emotional colors. It occasionally reveals black humor in the sometimes gorgeous and sometimes obscene plot, and has a strong pessimism color. It established Huysmans' position in the history of French prose in the 19th century.