Currently on view
Gustave Caillebotte (1848 - 1894), Paris, 1880
oil on canvas, 65.6 cm x 54.9 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the VriendenLoterij, the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, the Mondriaan Fund, the Rembrandt Association, with the additional support from the Cultuurfonds, and the VSBfonds)
The French artist Gustave Caillebotte painted the view from his Paris balcony in 1880. The real subject of the painting, though, is the balcony itself, the cast-iron curls of which form a decorative pattern that fills the picture plane. In the distance we make out Boulevard Hausmann with a carriage, an advertising column and passers-by.
Caillebotte used dark colours to emphasize the centrality of the railing. It stands out sharply against the street scene, which he painted in pastel tones. The bold composition was inspired by Japanese prints, the abrupt cropping, high vantage points and solid colours of which made them an important source for artists looking for a modern style.
Van Gogh was intrigued by Caillebotte’s work. The announcement of an exhibition prompted him to write to his brother Theo: ‘there’ll be some works by Caillebotte – I’ve never seen anything of his, and wanted to ask you to write and tell me what they’re like.’
Paris, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme, Marcel Proust, du côté de la mère, 13 April-28 August 2022
Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Gustave Caillebotte - Impressionist and Modern, 18 June-21 November 2021
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Munch : Van Gogh, 24 September 2015-17 January 2016
Oslo, Munch Museum, Van Gogh + Munch, 9 May-6 September 2015, no. 90
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Gustave Caillebotte. Een impressionist en de fotografie, 2 February-20 May 2013, no. zonder nr.
Frankfurt am Main, Schirn Kunsthalle, Gustave Caillebotte. Ein Impressionist und die Fotografie, 18 October 2012-20 January 2013, no. 47
Nagoya, Nagoya City Art Museum, Van Gogh. The adventure of becoming an artist, 22 February-10 April 2011, no. 73
Fukuoka, Kyushu National Museum, Van Gogh. The adventure of becoming an artist, 28 December 2010-13 February 2011, no. 73
Tokyo, National Art Center, Van Gogh.The adventure of becoming an artist, 1 October-20 December 2010, no. 73
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 125 grote liefdes. Met steun van de Vereniging Rembrandt, 3 October 2008-18 January 2009, no. 271
Bremen, Kunsthalle Bremen, Über das Wasser - Gustave Caillebotte / Gustave Caillebotte. Midt i impressionismen, 29 June-5 October 2008, no. 17
Copenhagen, Ordrupgaard Museum, Über das Wasser - Gustave Caillebotte / Gustave Caillebotte. Midt i impressionismen, no. 17
Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Über das Wasser - Gustave Caillebotte / Gustave Caillebotte. Midt i impressionismen, no. 17
Williamstown, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Impression. Painting Quickly in France 1860-1890, 16 June-8 September 2001, no. 157
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Impressionisme. De vrijheid van de losse toets, 2 March-20 May 2001, no. 157
London, National Gallery (London), Impression. Painting Quickly in France 1860-1890, 1 November 2000-28 January 2001, no. 157
Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Gustave Caillebotte : urban impressionist, 18 February-28 May 1995, no. 66
Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894, 12 September 1994-9 January 1995, no. 66
Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Museum of Art, The crisis of Impressionism, 2 November 1979-6 January 1980, no. 8
Houston, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Gustave Caillebotte. A Retrospective Exhibition, 22 October 1976-2 January 1977, no. 55
New York, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Gustave Caillebotte. A Retrospective Exhibition, no. 55
New York, Wildenstein and Co., Inc., Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894, 18 September-19 October 1968
London, Wildenstein and Co. Ltd, Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894, 15 June-16 July 1966, no. 22
Musée des Beaux-Arts (Chartres), Caillebotte et ses amis impressionistes, 28 June-5 September 1965
Paris, Gustave Caillebotte, 25 May-25 July 1952, no. 34
Paris, 10 rue des Pyramides, 5me Exposition de Peinture, 1-30 April 1880, no. 12
Hecht, Peter, 125 jaar openbaar kunstbezit met de steun van de Vereniging Rembrandt, 2008, p. 188, 190, 241
Callen, Anthea, Gallimmore, K., Havell, J., The art of impressionism : painting technique and the making of modernity, 2000, p. 24-25
Darragon, E., Caillebotte, 1994, p. 95-97, 148
Berhaut, M., Fondation Wildenstein, Caillebotte : sa vie et son oeuvre : catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, cop. 1978, p. 46-47, 129, 249
Friedrich, F., Wuhrmann, Sylvie, Caillebotte au coeur de l'impressionisme, 2005, p. 29, 67-68
Cornelis, Bart, Luijten, Ger, Tilborgh, Louis van, Collecting for the public : works that made a difference : essays for Peter Hecht, 2016, p. 170-175
Bouillon, Jean-Paul, Isaäcson, J.J., The crisis of impressionism 1878-1882, cop. 1980, p. 72-73
Bollendorf, S., House, John, Johnston, S., Faces of Impressionism : portraits from American collections, 1999, p. 46-47
Varnedoe, J.K.T., Gustave Caillebotte, 1987, p. 16-19, 126-127, 152-155, 158-159
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Sagner, Karin, Hollein, Max, Pohlmann, Ulrich, Gustave Caillebotte : an impressionist and photography, 2012, p. 60-66, 236
Berhaut, M., Pietri, S., Gustave Caillebotte : catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, 1994, VI, IX, p. 35, 131, 283, 300
Sagner, Karin, Pohlmann, Ulrich, Kaiser, Franz-W., Gustave Caillebotte : een impressionist en de fotografie, 2013, p. 9, 70
Sagner, Karin, Gustave Caillebotte : Neue Perspektiven des Impressionismus, 2009, p. 10, 12
Gleis, Ralph, Groenewald-Schmidt, Arnika, Sagner, Karin, Gustave Caillebotte : painter and patron of impressionism, 2019, p. 25-26
Marrinan, M., Gustave Caillebotte : painting the Paris of naturalism, 1872-1887, 2016, p. 220-229
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Müller, Markus, Im Rausch der Farbe : Meisterwerke aus dem Musée d’Art moderne de Troyes von Gauguin bis Matisse, 2019, p. 85
Brettell, Richard Robson, Havell, J., Impression : painting quickly in France 1860-1890, 2000, p. 221-222
Brettell, Richard Robson, Havell, J., Impressionisme : de vrijheid van de losse toets, 2000, p. 220-222
Tilborgh, Louis van, Een Japanse Caillebotte in Amsterdam, p. 6-8
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Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Masterpieces in the Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 86
Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Meesterwerken in het Van Gogh Museum, 2019, p. 86
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Dijk, Maite van, Bruteig, Magne, Jansen, Leo, Heller, Reinhold, Lloyd, Jill, Schneede, Uwe M., Munch : Van Gogh, 2015, p. 118
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Stolwijk, Chris, Suijver, Renske, Berger, Helewise, Dieltjes, Esther, Hendriks, Ella, Van Gogh : the adventure of becoming an artist, 2010, p. 126, 247
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Van Gogh Museum : jaarverslag 2003, 2004, p. 6, 12, 24-25, 34
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Sagner, Karin, Hollein, Max, Pohlmann, Ulrich, Gustave Caillebotte : Ein Imressionist und die Fotografie, 2012, p. 60, 65