You can tell from my previous blogs that I love the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. I check their website periodically and rarely miss an art show. Not too long ago I stopped by to see "Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter's Eye" and cannot stop raving about it!
I am a big fan of Impressionism and the National Gallery of Art has a lovely collection. The exhibition of Caillebotte's masterpieces takes their place in the art world to the next level. I will admit not knowing much about Gustave Caillebotte when I walked into the exhibition halls. However, I indeed walked out with great admiration of his work.
Caillebotte is an interesting character as art to him was a passionate interest. Having come from a wealthier background, he never really needed to sell his works so his role within the Impressionist movement is somewhat hidden. He was friends with Edgar Degas and Auguste Renoir who both encouraged his artistic endeavors. One of Caillebotte’s most famous works - depicting shirtless laborers finishing a wood floor - became one of the sensations of the second Impressionist show in 1876.
I am a big fan of Impressionism and the National Gallery of Art has a lovely collection. The exhibition of Caillebotte's masterpieces takes their place in the art world to the next level. I will admit not knowing much about Gustave Caillebotte when I walked into the exhibition halls. However, I indeed walked out with great admiration of his work.
Caillebotte is an interesting character as art to him was a passionate interest. Having come from a wealthier background, he never really needed to sell his works so his role within the Impressionist movement is somewhat hidden. He was friends with Edgar Degas and Auguste Renoir who both encouraged his artistic endeavors. One of Caillebotte’s most famous works - depicting shirtless laborers finishing a wood floor - became one of the sensations of the second Impressionist show in 1876.
Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers, 1875, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Gift of Caillebotte's heirs through the intermediary of Auguste Renoir, 1894. © RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY
What most intrigues me about his works - and really any other artist's work - is the insight into the life of his contemporaries. Caillebotte has a sensitive and well-trained eye. The Floor Scrapers provides such an in-depth look into a moment in the life of these men. I see hard work, dust, grease. I hear scraping, chatter, laughter. I smell chemicals, hot air, sweat. What are your feelings about this painting?
 Gustave Caillebotte, Paris Street, Rainy Day, 1877, oil on canvas, The Art Institute of Chicago, Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection. Photography © The Art Institute of Chicago |  Gustave Caillebotte, The Boulevard Seen from Above, 1880, oil on canvas, Private Collection. © Comité Caillebotte, Paris |
The exhibition halls provide a concise review of Caillebotte's subjects: portraits, nudes, river and city scenes, still lifes, and landscapes. In all, they portray this artist as deeply interested in his surroundings, preoccupied with the ways art can connect us to our environment. This search for connection is what makes Caillebotte truly essential to the art world.
Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter's Eye is on display until October 4, 2015 at West Building Main Floor.
Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter's Eye is on display until October 4, 2015 at West Building Main Floor.