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Paris Street; Rainy Day
Gustave Caillebotte, 1877
Gustave Caillebotte painted this in 1877. It shows a busy junction in Paris that was a short walk from his home. At 212 by 276 centimetres, it is his largest and most ambitious painting, and the Art Institute of Chicago says it has been a favourite there since the museum acquired it in 1964.
Two people in the foreground walk straight towards us, as if something outside the frame has caught their attention. The cropping, with figures cut off at the edge, may have been inspired by photography, which was becoming popular. There are no painted raindrops. Instead the weather is suggested by the umbrellas, which were newly available in a more convenient form, and by the soft reflections on the wet cobbles.
Caillebotte exhibited with the Impressionists and shared their interest in modern city life, but his technique here is smoother and more precise, closer to Realism. His reputation as an Impressionist grew long after his death.
From the museum record
| Artist | Gustave Caillebotte |
|---|---|
| Date | 1877 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Size | 212.2 × 276.2 cm (83 1/2 × 108 3/4 in.) |
| Museum | The Art Institute of Chicago |
| Credit line | Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection |
| Accession number | 1964.336 |
| Licence | Public domain (CC0) |
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago collection record. Facts such as dates, sizes and credit lines come from that record. The write-up above was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the museum record and standard references. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
