Journal de Marie Bashkirtseff

Champs-Elysees

Également connu sous : Champs-Elysees, Champs Elysees

Place places/travel Basic Mis à jour: 2026-03-06
Voir dans le journal 72 mentions

Research Status: Comprehensive Last Updated: 2026-02-10 Diary Coverage: Paris years (1877-1884)

Overview

The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is the most famous avenue in Paris, stretching 1.9 km from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. In Marie Bashkirtseff's time, it was one of the city's principal promenades and a center of fashionable life, lined with grand private mansions (hotels particuliers), theaters, cafes, and gardens. Marie references the Champs-Elysees throughout her Paris diary as a setting for social life, promenades, and encounters.

Historical Context (1870s-1880s)

Post-Haussmann Development

By Marie's time, the Champs-Elysees had been transformed by Baron Haussmann's urban renovations:
  • The avenue was widened and straightened during the Second Empire
  • Architect Hittorff had redesigned the promenade gardens between 1836-1840
  • Gas lighting illuminated the avenue (electric lights came later, in 1905)
  • Elegant chestnut trees lined both sides

Two Distinct Sections

The avenue had two characters:
  • Lower section (Place de la Concorde to Rond-Point): Gardens, theaters, restaurants, and the Palais de l'Industrie (where the Salon exhibitions were held)
  • Upper section (Rond-Point to Arc de Triomphe): Grand private mansions, embassies, and fashionable residences

Key Establishments

In Marie's era, the Champs-Elysees featured:
  • Palais de l'Industrie: Venue for the annual Salon art exhibition (until 1897)
  • Cirque d'Ete and Cirque d'Hiver: Popular entertainment venues
  • Alcazar d'Ete: Music hall and garden
  • Laurent: Prestigious restaurant (opened 1842)
  • Ledoyen: Another elegant restaurant dating from 1779
  • Jardin Mabille: Dance hall and pleasure garden
  • Private mansions: Residences of the aristocracy and diplomatic corps

Significance for Marie

Social Promenade

The Champs-Elysees served as another venue for the ritual of seeing and being seen:
  • Afternoon carriage rides along the avenue
  • Walking in the gardens
  • Encountering friends and acquaintances
  • Observing fashionable society

Artistic Connection

The avenue was intimately connected to Marie's artistic ambitions:
  • The Palais de l'Industrie at the lower end hosted the Salon where Marie exhibited her work
  • The artistic and literary world frequented the avenue's cafes
  • Artists' studios were located in the surrounding neighborhoods

Cultural Life

The theaters and entertainment venues along the Champs-Elysees were part of Marie's cultural world:
  • Concert performances
  • Theater productions
  • Public spectacles and celebrations

Major Events

The Champs-Elysees was the stage for notable public events during Marie's time:
  • The funeral of Victor Hugo (1885, just after Marie's death in 1884)
  • National celebrations and military parades (July 14 became the national holiday in 1880)
  • The Universal Exposition preparations

The Avenue in Parisian Social Geography

In Marie's era, the Champs-Elysees occupied a specific place in Paris's social hierarchy:

  • More public than the exclusive Faubourg Saint-Germain
  • More fashionable than the commercial grands boulevards
  • Complementary to the Bois de Boulogne as a venue for display
  • International: Attracted foreign visitors and diplomats alongside Parisians
  • The epitome of Parisian elegance and modernity

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