Gustave Caillebotte

A lot of them showed what was visually going on at that time in Paris. In 1851, the government of Napoleon III transformed the old streets of Paris into a new system of grand boulevards. They built bridges, buildings, and railroads. Although his works were not considered great at the time they are very valuable now. For example, the first one he released at the impressionist exhibition, Floor Scrapers, was received as being vulgar and was greeted by scorn by the traditionalists. It contained bold perspectives and tonal control. It was painted in shades of brown, beige, and gray. His most famous work, Paris Street: Rainy Day, shows a complex intersection near the Saint- Lazare train station. His family owned property in the busy neighborhood, populated by wealthy Parisians and workers, depicted in the painting. He not only painted urban scenes though. Like many of his colleagues he painted still life and landscapes as well.
             In his later years he spent less time painting and more time sailing and working in his garden. He died in Gennevilliers in 1894 of pulmonary congestion. At his death, Caillebotte left sixty-five Impressionist paintings to the French state. At first, his paintings were rejected. "For a long time, Caillebotte was considered mainly a minor talent who deserved to be remembered more for the support he gave to better artists than for his own work". Complaints from the press and public, both starting to enjoy Impressionism, led to 38 paintings being accepted. However, the paintings did not reach the Louvre until 1928. .
             Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848- 1894).
             Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1876- 1877.
             Oil on canvas.
             The Art Institute of Chicago.
             The painting comes from the Impressionist era. It is an urban landscape.
             Basic Elements:.
             Lines.
             There are light lines everywhere in the painting. The buildings carry the majority of the light lines. The cobblestones have a mixture of light, heavy, bold, and delicate line.