Gustave Caillebotte
French, 1848­1894
Paris Street; Rainy Day
1877
Oil on canvas
212.2 x 276.2 cm
Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection, 1964.336

The upraised umbrellas, watery reflections on the pavement, and gray tones of this very large-scale painting all show Caillebotte’s interest, shared with other Impressionist artists, in capturing on canvas the atmosphere and light of a specific moment. But unlike these artists, whose paintings often seemed sketchlike, Caillebotte’s work appears very finished. Modern city life was another subject that interested the Impressionists. The wide new boulevards lined with apartment buildings of Caillebotte’s own neighborhood appear in this painting. What leads your eye into the deep space of this street scene? Will the well-dressed couple walking toward us see the man walking toward them before they crash into each other?