[‘ With the or in la belle époque. The period of peace and prosperity in the Western world in the decades preceding the First World War (1914–18), characterized by cultural vitality, artistic accomplishment, and scientific progress, esp. as epitomized in Parisian society at that time. Also in extended use: a period of peace, prosperity, and progress; a golden age.']
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌbɛl eɪˈpɒk/, U.S. /ˌbɛl əˈpɑk/
Forms: 19– *belle époque*, 19– *belle epoque*. Also with capital initial(s).
Etymology: < French /belle époque/, lit. ‘beautiful era’ (1st half of the 18th cent. in sense ‘golden age’) < /belle/ belle adj. + /époque/ epoch n.
The phrase la belle époque occasionally occurs earlier in English in the context of the presentation or discussion of various periods of classical history in French museums or by French speakers:
1874 /Morning Post/ 1 June 5/3 We have first a few illustrations of ancient architecture of the old Imperial epoch, such as..the Temple of Augustus, of ‘la belle époque’.
1897 J. H. Barrows /World-pilgrimage/ xviii. 230 It may be a failure to appreciate the importance of the earlier and later periods of Athenian history,..but it always gave me a pleasant feeling to overhear the French-speaking guides say of this or that thing that it did or did not belong to ‘/la belle epoque/'.
Not fully naturalized in English.
*A.* n.
With the or in la belle époque. The period of peace and prosperity in the Western world in the decades preceding the First World War (1914–18), characterized by cultural vitality, artistic accomplishment, and scientific progress, esp. as epitomized in Parisian society at that time. Also in extended use: a period of peace, prosperity, and progress; a golden age.
1947 /Burlington Mag./ Apr. 105/1 Pierre Bonnard..belonged essentially to the last days of the nineteenth century: he was formed during the ‘Belle epoque’ of Parisian life.
1950 /N.Y. Times/ 28 May 51/8 It includes rare footage on Rodin, Renoir, Sarah Bernhardt and Debussy.., as well as scenes on fashions of the period and the sports events of ‘La Belle Epoque’.
1960 /Guardian/ Jan. 11 4/4 Almost mythical institutions in the Paris society of the belle époque.
1986 /Amer. Scholar/ *65* 484 At almost forty, I had my belle époque.
1995 /Observer/ 10 Sept. (Life Suppl.) 62/1 France’s most outrageous..music-hall performer, the toast of La Belle Epoque.
1995 J. Shreeve /Neandertal Enigma/ (1996) iv. 92 The skull—about 70,000 years old, dating from the Neandertal belle époque.
2004 /N.Y. Times/ (National ed.) 4 Nov. a4/2 Nicknamed ‘the Green Fairy’.., absinthe was associated with the writers, painters, prostitutes and anarchists of the belle epoque.
*B.* adj.
Designating the period of the belle époque; of, relating to, or characteristic of this period.
1957 /Sight & Sound/ Spring 190/2 The second of Franju’s projects is the filming of Fantomas, the story of a French master criminal of the Belle Epoque period.
1966 /N.Y. Times/ 1 Oct. 20 Mr Glazebrooke has turned the area into a ‘belle epoque’ pavilion with a sunny, airy effect achieved by lighting, cream-colored walls broken up by painted art nouveau arches, and deep gold carpeting.
1980 /Times/ 28 Jan. 14/5 Only in the last couple of years have prices approaching this been paid for belle époque artists.
1991 /Brit. Jrnl. Criminol./ *21* 437 R. Nye’s work..persuasively locates the Belle Époque obsession with crime in the context of wider concerns.
2006 /Olive/ Oct. (Foodie Cities Suppl.) 44 For an apéro..or an after-dinner coffee or cognac there are few classier settings than this belle époque café.