Gustave Caillebotte

Biography

Gustave Caillebotte (French: [ɡystav kɑjbɔt]; 19 August 1848 – 21 February 1894) was a French painter who was a member and patron of the Impressionists, although he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group. Caillebotte was known for his early interest in photography as an art form. Because of his family's wealth, he was a patron of many of his fellow Impressionists. Upon his death, his bequeathed collection of their works became the central collection of Impressionism for the French Republic, despite considerable controversy.

His most well known work has been Paris Street; Rainy Day, known for qualities such as its mise-en-scène presentation. The Art Institute of Chicago acquired the painting in 1964 and his work drew more attention in the 1970s. Although Caillebotte has long been regarded for his philanthropy and support as a patron and promoter of Impressionism, he did not have an international retrospective of his work until 1994, 100 years after his death. In 2022, when France successfully attained possession of Boating Party, known for its close-up action perspective, through a National treasure of France declaration process, the country asserted the work's cultural significance and prominence with a celebrated display, followed by a national tour of the work, and then an exhibition of Caillebotte's work that toured internationally.