belle époque
Era of elegance
Belle époque is French for "beautiful era," referring to a period of peace, prosperity, and cultural flourishing in Western Europe, particularly France, from roughly 1871 to 1914.
The term evokes optimism, artistic innovation, and elegant living before World War I shattered that world: The building's ornate facade is pure belle époque.
Often capitalized.
Period of peak prosperity
- halcyon daysPeriod of happiness and tranquility
- bygone eraPeriod no longer current
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
reminiscence · retrospection · lost world · bittersweet · idealized
Century's closing cultural moment
- café cultureSocial life around coffeehouses
- flaneurIdle urban observer
- promenadeLeisurely public stroll
- gaietyLively, exuberant cheerfulness
lightheartedness · exuberance · joie de vivre · champagne · leisure class · gentility
Ornate organic decorative style
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- salonGrooming establishment or gathering
- lithographStone-based printing method
- poster artGraphics for wall display
golden age
Period of peak prosperity
- halcyon daysPeriod of happiness and tranquility
- bygone eraPeriod no longer current
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
wistfulness · reminiscence · retrospection · lost world · bittersweet · idealized
fin de siècle
Century's closing cultural moment
- café cultureSocial life around coffeehouses
- flaneurIdle urban observer
- promenadeLeisurely public stroll
gaiety · lightheartedness · exuberance · joie de vivre · champagne · leisure class · gentility
art nouveau
Ornate organic decorative style
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- salonGrooming establishment or gathering
- lithographStone-based printing method
poster art · cabaret · cancan · operetta · vintage · ornate · elegant
belle époquedark age
Era of cultural decline
dark ages · Great Depression · World War I · reign of terror · interwar period
belle époquedark times
malaise · dystopia · apocalypse · decadence · stagnation
belle, epochs, beauty, beautiful, beautifully, beautify, embellish, embellishment, beau