[Window] COVID-19 and the 'Belle ?poque'

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] On the 6th, the encore exhibition of Toulouse-Lautrec was opened at the Hangaram Art Museum in the Seoul Arts Center. Lautrec is regarded as a painter who adorned the 'Belle Epoque' era. Belle Epoque means 'beautiful era' in French. It refers to the peaceful period from the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

The movie 'Cafe Belle Epoque' is also being screened. The protagonist of the film is a man named 'Victor,' who appears to be in his 60s. He is somewhat awkward and unfamiliar with the latest IT devices. His relationship with his wife Marian also faces a crisis. Victor uses a service company that recreates the past to relive his youth. He also recalls the memory of the Cafe Belle Epoque where he first met Marian. Victor regains vitality in life and restores his relationship with Marian.

In this year when the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disaster swept the world, ironically, the word Belle Epoque has frequently appeared.

Although humanity experiences great chaos due to COVID-19, the Earth has paradoxically become healthier. This is because human activities that destroy nature have decreased. With fewer tourists, the water in the canals of Venice has become clearer, and the air quality in Beijing, China, has improved. It is also expected that this year South Korea will suffer less from fine dust originating from China compared to previous years.

Therefore, voices calling for reflection have grown louder. Dr. Jane Goodall (86), a renowned British primatologist and environmental activist, pointed out that humanity has brought about the disease COVID-19 by treating animals and nature disrespectfully.

In fact, the term Belle Epoque itself carries a meaning of reflection. Humanity realized anew how good the period before World War I?the worst crime?was. Hence, the exaggerated embellishment of the term Belle Epoque was applied.

Among the official selections of the 41st Seoul Theater Festival, which ended on the 31st of last month, 'Piece of Land' also featured Belle Epoque. In this play that unfolds various episodes about land, Belle Epoque was defined as an era when wealth disparity was extremely expanded. Professor Thomas Piketty of Paris School of Economics, in his acclaimed work 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century,' identified the Belle Epoque era as the period with the most severe wealth inequality in history.

Dr. Goodall also emphasized the importance of helping people escape poverty. She pointed out that poor people have no choice but to destroy forests to survive and choose cheap food that causes great damage to nature during production processes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.