In 1881, the renowned art gallery, Galerie Georges Petit opened to the public at 12, Rue Godot de Mauroy in Paris, France. It was operated successfully by the famous French art dealer, Georges Petit, who inherited his father's art firm in 1877. Petit was known for his exhibition of Impressionistic works at extravagant gallery events, even attracting famous Impressionists of the time, such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, and Camille Pissarro. The Galerie Georges Petit would go on to later be relocated to 8, Rue de Seze-- directly in the heart of Paris. While Petit's gallery would go on to posthumously host the works of cultural icons of the art world such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, the Galerie Georges Petit still served as a "popular alternative exhibition space" to the official Salon de Paris in the late 19th century ("Georges Petit"). It is difficult to understate the cultural influence of the Impressionist artwork/artists displayed at some point in time at the Galerie Georges Petit. Even the famous "Rue de Seze" location of the gallery would be referenced by Oscar Wilde in Chapter Nine of The Picture of Dorian Gray, as the character Basil Hallward alludes to the fact that his work was to be exhibited at the very gallery of Georges Petit himself (Wilde). The fact that Paris is the art capital of the world is undeniable, and Wilde's inclusion of Hallward's work as being worthy of being displayed by Petit helps exemplify Basil's artistic talent.

As I stroll the moonlit streets of Picadilly, I have garnered much cognizance of my own querulous notions. Every evening as of late, I find myself passing the Royal Academy of Arts with a sordid disdain! I detest the gallery I once viewed with nothing but folly; I now see her so-called "masterpieces" are nothing but tawdry trinkets to be gawked at by the British bourgeois. I am carefully reticent of my censure, but I still must declare that I fear my most recent of abstruse revelations. I know my words henceforth shall be declared as incorrigible and covetous, but I fear that my numerous artistic endeavours thus far have transformed me into the most unbecoming of drudges. I ponder how an artist such as Basil Hallward could have rumoured prospects of an exhibition in the cultural heart of the Rue de Seze, nonetheless under the curation of Georges Petit himself! In the meantime, works such as mine are confined to London alone? What nonsense! I aspire to reach the level of servility attained by Hallward; for him to have attracted the likes of an influential figure such as Petit. I long for nothing more from that detestable Hallward; no affluential provisions could undo my corrupted reverie. To wish to attain Hallward's artistic ability would prove a hindrance to my own blossoming talents! I have no wish to mar the achievements of my rival-- only a sanguine desire to exceed them. I should like to meet his muse, Dorian Gray...   

Works Cited

"Georges Petit." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Petit. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020. 

"Royal Academy of Arts." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Academy_of_Arts. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

Wilde, Oscar. "The Picture of Dorian Gray." COVE Studio, 2020, https://studio.covecollective.org/anthologies/frankenstein-or-the-modern.... Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.