1000 Museums

Gustave Caillebotte (August 19, 1948-February 21, 1894) was a French painter born into an incredibly wealthy family. In school, he trained to be an engineer, but in his early adult life, he showed more interest in art and painting. When first entering the art world, Caillebotte started working as an organizer and fundraiser at impressionist exhibitions. While working at these events, he made enough money to become a collector of famous impressionist works by artists such as Degas, Monet, and Renoir, who became substantial influences for his pieces. Caillebotte was not drawn to traditional painting but had more of an eye and appreciation for the “Avante-Garde,” being new or experimental ideas and practices (which at this time were the Impressionists). Caillebotte began painting for leisure, and unlike other struggling artists, he had the financial privilege of not having to rely on selling his pieces. He studied at Ecole des Beaux-Arts and even exhibited some of his work at an Impressionist exhibition in 1876. Caillebotte incorporates realism into his landscapes and portraits, as shown in “The Floor Scrapers,” depicting traditional scenes and some that were previously undervalued and overlooked. His collection of works was only shared with the public after his death, and friends and family kept many other paintings.