Conférence Cecilia Auber

Conference presented by Cecilia AUBER, Art and History tour guide.

Favored by the industrial and economic reforms desired by Napoleon III, the second half of the 19th century saw the emergence of new forms of commerce: department stores.

These establishments, considered temples of modernity, led to an unprecedented economic and social upheaval. Their commercial innovations helped to bring France into the culture of consumption. The department stores also played a fundamental role in the diffusion of fashion and allowed the birth of the myth of the Parisian woman, the incarnation of the elegant, independent woman, and ambassador of fashion.

The creation of their own art workshops renews the place of decorative arts in French society, through a celebration of the taste for beauty in everyday life.