Paris Street, Rainy Day by Edouard Manet can be seen as the quintessential representation of the solitude of modern life in Haussmann's new avenues (Brooks 2005). Fried (1999) argues against the idea that the image is a representation of social isolation in modern Paris and that the subjects are simply absorbed into modern life. However, it is difficult to ignore the isolating elements of the image, such as the uniformity of Hussmann's avenues, the conformity of the open umbrellas, and the disjointed gaze of passersby (Facos 2011). Caillebotte seems to direct the viewer to the idea that it is the sterile nature of Hussmann's Paris that causes this sense of social isolation among Parisians (Distel