La Belle Époque, or "beautiful era", is considered a golden time of beauty, innovation and renewal. From the last decade of the 1800's until the outbreak of The Great War, culture in all its facets thrived. Lovely ladies in elegant costume epitomize this age of indulgence and are exquisitely portrayed by such artists as Henri Boutet, Edgar Chahine, Paul Helleu, and Alphonse Mucha.