View of the Central Market Halls

This engraving by Auguste Trichon, titled “View of the Central Market Halls,” depicts the central market halls of Paris in the nineteenth century. It shows the large iron-and-glass pavilions built under the Second Empire, which became one of the symbols of the city’s urban modernization. The scene also captures the daily activity around the market, with pedestrians, vendors, and carts, recalling the central role of Les Halles in supplying Paris. Published in 1866 in Décembre and Alonnier’s illustrated popular dictionary, the image reflects the importance attached to the architectural, economic, and social transformations of the modern city.