Top 10 Facts about Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte
French Impressionism is one of my favorite genres of art. In all honesty, who doesn’t love Claude Monet, Pierre-August Renoir, and Alfred Sisley? Not only are their works beautiful, they’re accessible, meaning they’re easy to understand and appreciate, no matter your art background.
One French painter who was a patron to the Impressionist, but who wasn’t quite one himself is Gustave Caillebotte. One of his most famous paintings is Paris Street; Rainy Day (Rue de Paris, temps de pluie).
1. Gustave Caillebotte supported the Impressionists
Gustave Caillebotte was born to a wealthy family in Paris in 1848. In 1874, he meets Renoir and Monet and showed his paintings alongside them at the Impressionist Exhibit of 1876 in Paris.
Soon, Caillebotte became the chief financial backer of the Impressionist movement until 1882. He organized salons and exhibitions as well as promoted them. And, he also bought several paintings from even more Impressionist artists like Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, and Edgar Degas.
2. Caillebotte himself was more of a Realist
Although Caillebotte was passionate about helping his Impressionist friends and was a talented artist himself, his paintings have the characteristics of Realism. He is sometimes linked with the very early Impressionists (whose works also boast the characteristics of Realism) but he can be compared more closely to the Neo-Impressionist movement, which occurred directly after Impressionism. But, most art experts place him in the School of Realism.
3. Paris Street; Rainy Day is Gustave Caillebotte’s most famous work
Paris Street; Rainy Day was first exhibited in the Third Impressionist Exhibit of 1877. It was well-received, garnering compliments from one of Caillebotte’s toughest critics: French author Émile Zola.
You may also recognize another painting by Caillebotte called The Floor Scrapers (Les raboteurs de parquet), which is pictured below!
4. Paris Street; Rainy Day is massive
I always find the size of artwork so deceiving when I look at pictures of it online. All of the paintings look around the same size until you take a closer look at their true dimensions! Paris Street; Rainy Day may not look that large here, but it is actually almost 10 feet wide.
5. Paris Street; Rainy Day resembles a photograph
Caillebotte was fascinated by the latest art form: photography. If you look closely at Paris Street; Rainy Day, it has some of the same characteristics of a photo! The figures in the middle of the painting (those walking through the intersection) are the most in focus, while the people in the foreground and background are blurry.
6. Paris Street; Rainy Day depicts an intersection near Gare Saint-Lazare
The intersection in Paris Street; Rainy Day still exists today in Paris. Today, it’s called the Place de Dublin, and it’s located near the Gare Saint-Lazare in the north of the city. When Caillebotte painted the scene, it was called the Carrefour de Moscou. If you visit the location today, you’ll see that the buildings haven’t changed!
7. Baron Haussmann’s new architecture can be seen in Paris Street; Rainy Day
Speaking of buildings, the ones that are shown in Paris Street; Rainy Day boast the new architecture in Paris designed by Baron Haussmann and commissioned by Napoleon III. In the 1860s, Napoleon decided that he wanted to give the city a makeover. It was quite controversial at the time, as the construction displaced thousands of Parisians. But, thanks to the project, Paris has the layout that it does today.
8. American Impressionist artist Childe Hassam has his own version of Paris Street; Rainy Day
Like many famous paintings, there were reproductions made of Paris Street; Rainy Day. One of my favorites is by the American Impressionist artist Childe Hassam and is called Rainy Day, Boston, pictured above.
9. You may recognize Paris Street; Rainy Day from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
If you’re a classic movie buff, you likely recognize Paris Street; Rainy Day from the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off! There is an iconic scene from the movie which takes place in the Art Institute of Chicago, where the painting is housed. At the beginning of the scene, a large group of children walks hand in hand in front of the painting. Then, there are several other well-known paintings shown. I never realized there were so many famous works in the Art Institute of Chicago!
10. Paris Street; Rainy Day is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago
And, as you now already know thanks to Ferris Beuller, Paris Street; Rainy Day is located in the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. After Caillebotte’s death in 1894 at the young age of 45 from pulmonary congestion, most of his paintings stayed in his family’s possession. In 1955, an American art collector named Walter P. Chrysler Jr. acquired Paris Street; Rainy Day before selling it to the Art Institute, where it has remained ever since.
Conclusion
If you were curious about Paris Street; Rainy Day by the French painter Gustave Caillebotte, I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about it! There is much to discover in just one piece of artwork.
If you want to learn more about French artists, art movements, and paintings that were painted in Paris, check out our walking tour options! Art lovers will enjoy the Skip-the-line Picasso Museum and Marais Art tour! Click here to learn more about all of our available tours in Paris.
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