Gustave Caillebotte

Gustave Caillebotte has often been called the ‘forgotten Impressionist’. Despite exhibiting at five of the Impressionist exhibitions, his reputation as a painter was for many years eclipsed by his contribution as a patron and collector. He used his considerable family wealth to support a number of fellow artists, including Monet, Renoir and Pissaro – buying dozens of their paintings in the process. He bequeathed to the French state a remarkable collection of Impressionist works (thirty-eight of which now take pride of place in the Musée D’Orsay). Nonetheless, recognition of his own work has grown over recent decades. His style often drew inspiration from the painterly brushwork and colour palette of Impressionism. However, many of his most significant paintings were executed in a tighter, more precise manner – indeed, he appears to have pioneered the use of photography in composing a number of his pictures. Arguably, he might more accurately be described as a ‘Realist’. Nonetheless, he shared the Impressionists’ passion for subject matter inspired by modernity, industrialization and contemporary city life.