Paris sous la Pluie.

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Paris sous la Pluie

The first thing that strikes me is the size of the work. About seven feet tall and nine feet wide, this painting dominates its gallery and overwhelms the viewer. The couple in the foreground of the painting is nearly life size, and with the man poised to take another step it seems he might climb right over the frame and walk right into the gallery. The bold perspective thrusts the scene outward, and with details such as the sharply  receding roofline of the main building and the acute tilt of the street, geometric and visual effects are created which push and pull the viewer and instill the painting with action. This work is more complex and detailed then one might first imagine, and with such a rich surface and vast array of minutiae it truly requires an “in person” viewing for full comprehension.

        Painted in 1877 by the wealthy painter/impressionist connoisseur Gustave Caillebotte, Paris, A Rainy Day is a depiction of a familiar five-way intersection in a wealthy area of Paris near the artist’s home on a rainy and overcast day. A host of characters are dispersed throughout the canvas, strolling about and engaging in usual daily activities. The expansive street and uniform architecture, common in Paris after Haussmann’s renovations, are accentuated, and in many ways the work is a verisitic snapshot of modern everyday life.

In the foreground a well to do couple with interlocked arms and a shared umbrella walks towards the viewer. By noting the angle of reflections from the lamppost and other figures it seems as if the painter is taking his view from directly in front of these persons, and being the most prominent figures they certainly warrant a more detailed discussion. The man gazes to his right. His eyes are a soft grayish hue and he walks assertively. The gaze on his face is difficult to read; perhaps he is longing or being contemplative, in any event he seems detached. It seems reasonable to label him the protagonist. The woman tilts her head as well, and is most likely observing the same object or event as her companion. Observed close up she appears to have an emergent smile on her comely face. The dots on her veil, a dazzlingly white earring (likely a diamond) and an azure blue tuft of cloth noticeable at her neckline are particularly striking, and provide vibrancy to her otherwise monotone yet certainly fashionable garb. Cropped in the right corner is a man walking towards the aforementioned couple on the same sidewalk. He tilts his umbrella to the right so as to avoid collision with the couple who neither pay him attention nor show any signs of tilting their umbrella in deference. A green (a color which stands out) gas lamp separates these three from the rest of the painting, and also divides the canvas in half. A little further back a lone man is crossing the street, looking down in a manner which suggests inward thinking but also illustrates the reality of the wet and mucky road on which one must watch their step. The rest of the figures receive less influence, but a few of them are certainly worth noting. Directly to the left of the protagonist’s head two women walk away from the viewer. Their symmetry is visually enticing. Also, above the wagon wheel on the left side of the painting a man is crossing the street. He piqued my attention because of the odd position of his body and feet – it looks as if he is almost doing a jig. Lastly, one might note how the front couple’s umbrella pole occludes a woman’s head in the background; she in turn holds an umbrella that obscures the head of a workman with ladder behind her; a curious compositional detail to say the least.

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        The surface of the painting is characterized mostly by relatively broad painterly brushstrokes which in that singularly impressionistic manner allow the “stuff” of paint to really show. Even though the picture appears much more finished and Salonesque than most impressionist works, one still feels the transience and modern quality of the work through its style. The water and muck on the street feel nearly tangible. Interesting atmospheric results are achieved through this style of painting. For instance, the wagon wheel has whitish paint covering up its spokes, an indication of the general haziness of that day. Also, in the distance ...

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