Omnibus I

Additional texteDescription: Zorn's painting Omnibus is a fleeting image of modern urban life, where people from different social classes meet in new ways. Zorn travelled regularly by omnibus from his home in Montmartre, Paris, merely to study the passengers. As the bus rolled through the city, the light changed constantly inside. Electric streetlights had recently been installed in Paris – and the mixture of artificial and natural light created new and unexpected effects that Zorn tried to capture on canvas. It is hardly surprising that contemporary critics described Omnibus as “ultra-modern”. Description: The electric evening light on the grand boulevards of Paris fascinated Zorn. With his virtuoso technique, he records here how it is reflected in the misted-up windows of an omnibus and falls on the faces and bodies of the passengers. The main figure in the painting is the young woman with the square box. Behind her, a prostitute can be made out. Both represent the modern city, with its commercial attractions and dangers. Description: Anders Zorn's painting Omnibus was executed in Paris in the 1890s. Zorn travelled regularly by omnibus from his home in Montmartre, merely to study the passengers. As the bus rolled through the city, the light changed constantly inside. Electric streetlights had recently been installed in Paris – and the mixture of artificial and natural light created new and unexpected effects that Zorn tried to capture on canvas. Contemporary critics described Omnibus as “ultra-modern”.