When I read the epigraph I immediately think of the Parisian society of the time. Societal norms, culture, style, expectations, etc. seem to shift with the wind. Paris society was definitely on cutting edge. New norms were being established often. The art scene was one that sort of "floated with the wind". Artists were here today and history tomorrow. Unlike in England, where rules, traditions, and norms were constant, adhered to and usually unchanging, Paris life was completely different.
However, even though social life and norms were very fluid, one's goal was still to attain social elite status or at least be associated with the social elite. In Paris, the path to reach such social heights was precarious and not etched in stone. For example, an artist could go from a starving nobody, and based on the whims of social circles, catapult to social elite in a very short time.