La colonne Morris

Jean Béraud's 'Colonne Morris' (1885) depicts the cylindrical advertising column that became one of the signature objects of Haussmann's Paris street furniture — introduced in 1868, the Morris column became so identified with Parisian street life that it remains a cultural symbol of Belle Époque Paris. Béraud's interest in the Morris column as a subject reflects his attention to the full visual ecology of the boulevard — not only its people and buildings but its furniture, signs, and decorative elements that created the distinctive visual character of the modern city.

The Morris column as compositional element provides a strong vertical form around which the boulevard's social life is organized — figures pausing to read the theatrical announcements and posters that covered the column's curved surface. Béraud's handling of the column as both functional object and compositional device demonstrates his sophisticated understanding of urban space. The surrounding figures are characterized with his typical attention to social type and contemporary fashion.