Gustave Caillebotte
Paris Street- Rainy Weather 1877
The Floor Scrapers 1875
Gustave Caillebotte- The Modern Impressionist
Introduction
Gustave Caillebotte was born on August 19, 1848, In Paris, France. Apart from being a prodigious French artist, he was a vigorous art collector and impressionist as well. With his great artistic streak in various areas, this engineer turned painter has made him stand out from the rest of the artists and painters.
He must have been an admirer of modern infrastructure and cityscape, as their influences can be seen in many of his paintings. In fact, he is also known to incline photography. This creative painter also had an interest in gardening, stamp collecting, and textile designing.
Early Life
This inspirational painter comes from a family of higher class, of Parisian origin, residing in ‘Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis,’ a distinct society in the city of Paris. His father, Martial Caillebotte, ran a military textile business, which he had inherited. He also served as a judge in the Seine department’s Tribunal de commerce.
Along with his two brothers, his parents spent their summers in the large owned property by the Yerres River. The young Gustave started painting during this time. Apart from being an engineer, he had acquired a law degree and served in the military during the Franco-Prussian war.
Artworks
After the Franco-Prussian War, the great artist was highly inspired by the painter – Léon Bonnat. It inspired him to start painting, and he soon opened his studio in his parents’ home. Gustave attended his first impressionist exhibition in 1874. He displayed 8 of his art pieces in the second Impressionist exhibition in 1876.
The collection included one of his famous and most speculated masterpieces, ‘The Floor Scrapers’ (1875), also known as ‘Les Raboteurs De Parquet.’ This unique piece depicts realism, which is one of his art styles. He is known for experimenting with different art styles, so his paintings depict different techniques and strokes. He uses dull and less vibrant tones in his paintings.
His other famous works include – ‘Nude Lying on a couch’ (1873), ‘Rue Halévy, From the 6th Floor (1878)’, ‘Boulevard des Italiens (1880)’ and many more. He also painted domestic scenes and portraits, but he is well-known for his paintings related to Modern Paris.
Death
The artist died on February 21, 1894, in Gennevilliers, France. Gustave died young at the age of 45, where he suffered from a stroke while working in hid garden in Petit Gennevilliers. He must have realized that he would die young, which is why he had already formulated his will. He donated many of his owned paintings and original artwork to the French state.