““The end of the nineteenth century is often referred to as the "fin de siècle" because of its philosophy of decadence, and the first decade of the twentieth century is referred to as "La belle Époque" because of a sense of optimism and confidence. In both periods, Paris was a breeding ground for artistic and literary movements that challenged the establishment and sought to come to terms with a complex society no longer easily definable. Paris was the center of activity as well as the favored subject of numerous artists. The work of naturalists, symbolists, decadents, Incohérents, and Nabis presented fresh visions of life and society during this important period of "modern" French art.””
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
