Going to the City by James Tissot

This captivating painting illustrates urban modernity and the fashionable life of major European metropolises at the end of the century. Through this remarkable work, James Tissot immortalizes the daily elegance of high society with striking realism under the title of “Going to the City”. The artist is dedicated to depicting the rituals of the bourgeoisie of his time in a refined and precise style. This genre scene thus becomes the mirror of an era marked by the rise of luxury transport and the press.

A dark hansom cab, pulled by an elegant black horse with a sleek coat, occupies the foreground of the scene. Inside the enclosed cabin, a mature man with a well-groomed white beard is comfortably seated, absorbed in reading a large unfolded newspaper. Perched at the back of the carriage, the driver dressed in a gray jacket and a top hat firmly holds the reins. In the background, the imposing architecture of a neoclassical building with its majestic columns and dark facades stands out under a grayish sky. The soft light gently illuminates the passenger’s face and the golden details of the carriage’s lanterns.

The art of executing this work lies in the precision of the drawing and the mastery of oil painting. The painter superbly recreates the polish of the black carriage body, the velvet of the fabrics, and the subtle details of the urban scene. The meticulous treatment of perspective gives the scene a remarkable depth and a striking realism.