Young Man at His Window (French: Jeune homme à sa fenêtre)[1] is a painting of 1876 by the French ImpressionistGustave Caillebotte (1848–1894). The oil on canvas painting measures 117 by 82 centimetres (46 in × 32 in).[2] It is in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.[3]
The painting depicts the artist's brother, René Caillebotte, wearing informal clothes and standing at a balcony.[4] He is standing at a window from the family home in the Rue de Miromesnil in Paris, looking outwards into Boulevard Malesherbes (the large, oblique cross-street in the background).[5] It is a comparatively early work in Caillebotte's oeuvre and reveals his interest in urban Realism.
Caillebotte's painting differs from his German antecedents in several ways, however. The man does not gaze upon nature, but rather looks out upon an urban scene. According to the art historian Kirk Varnedoe, "a standard charm of the window view is our bemused curiosity as to what the observer is looking at; but Caillebotte's structure replaces this curiosity with something quite different."[4] By placing the onlooking man off-center and depicting him from a somewhat elevated viewpoint, Caillebotte's painting creates a tense relationship between the dominant foreground figure, the emphatic perspectival diagonals, and the detailed street scene beyond. Varnedoe says "the normal interior-exterior oppositions of the window are thus combined in a charged relationship, competitive or covalent, that is seemingly unprecedented".[7]
Caillebotte presented this painting at the Impressionism exhibition of 1876 alongside a few of his other works, including Les raboteurs de parquet. Writer Émile Zola was impressed with technical achievement of the works, but was not enthusiastic about the style: "Photography of reality which is not stamped with the original seal of the painter's talent—that's a pitiful thing." He called the painting "anti-artistic... because of the exactitude of the copying."[8]
House, John (2004). Impressionism: Paint and Politics (1st ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 256. ISBN0300102402.
Rewald, Sabine (2011). Rooms with a View: the open window in the 19th century. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 190. ISBN978-0-300-16977-5.
Varnedoe, Kirk (1987). Gustave Caillebotte. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 220. ISBN0300082797.
November 15, 2023
young, window, french, jeune, homme, fenêtre, painting, 1876, french, impressionist, gustave, caillebotte, 1848, 1894, canvas, painting, measures, centimetres, collection, paul, getty, museum, angeles, jeune, homme, fenêtreenglish, artistgustave, caillebotteye. Young Man at His Window French Jeune homme a sa fenetre 1 is a painting of 1876 by the French Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte 1848 1894 The oil on canvas painting measures 117 by 82 centimetres 46 in 32 in 2 It is in the collection of the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles 3 Jeune homme a sa fenetreEnglish Young Man at His WindowArtistGustave CaillebotteYear1876Catalogue2021 67MediumOil on canvasDimensions117 cm 82 cm 46 in 32 in LocationJ Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles Contents 1 Description 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesDescription editThe painting depicts the artist s brother Rene Caillebotte wearing informal clothes and standing at a balcony 4 He is standing at a window from the family home in the Rue de Miromesnil in Paris looking outwards into Boulevard Malesherbes the large oblique cross street in the background 5 It is a comparatively early work in Caillebotte s oeuvre and reveals his interest in urban Realism In its theme of a figure seen from behind at an open window the composition has precedents in German Romanticism a notable example being Caspar David Friedrich s Woman at the Window 1822 4 Other examples include Goethe at the Window 1787 by Johann Heinrich Tischbein and The Morning Hour 1857 1860 by Moritz von Schwind 6 Caillebotte s painting differs from his German antecedents in several ways however The man does not gaze upon nature but rather looks out upon an urban scene According to the art historian Kirk Varnedoe a standard charm of the window view is our bemused curiosity as to what the observer is looking at but Caillebotte s structure replaces this curiosity with something quite different 4 By placing the onlooking man off center and depicting him from a somewhat elevated viewpoint Caillebotte s painting creates a tense relationship between the dominant foreground figure the emphatic perspectival diagonals and the detailed street scene beyond Varnedoe says the normal interior exterior oppositions of the window are thus combined in a charged relationship competitive or covalent that is seemingly unprecedented 7 Caillebotte presented this painting at the Impressionism exhibition of 1876 alongside a few of his other works including Les raboteurs de parquet Writer Emile Zola was impressed with technical achievement of the works but was not enthusiastic about the style Photography of reality which is not stamped with the original seal of the painter s talent that s a pitiful thing He called the painting anti artistic because of the exactitude of the copying 8 nbsp Johann Heinrich Tischbein Goethe at the Window 1787 nbsp Caspar David Friedrich Woman at a Window 1822 nbsp Moritz von Schwind Early Morning 1858See also editList of paintings by Gustave CaillebotteNotes edit Contemporary and current sources also frequently name this work as Young Man at the Window Jeune homme a la fenetre House 2004 p 114 https www artfixdaily com artwire release 9697 getty museum acquires gustave caillebotte E2 80 99s iconic young man at h text Getty 20Museum 20Acquires 20Gustave 20Caillebotte E2 80 99s 20Iconic 20 27Young 20Man 20at 20His 20Window 27 20at 20Auction Artfixdaily 11 11 2021 a b c Varnedoe 1987 p 60 Varnedoe 1987 p 21 Rewald 2011 p 16 42 Varnedoe 1987 p 61 Varnedoe 1987 p 187 References editHouse John 2004 Impressionism Paint and Politics 1st ed New Haven Yale University Press pp 256 ISBN 0300102402 Rewald Sabine 2011 Rooms with a View the open window in the 19th century New Haven Yale University Press p 190 ISBN 978 0 300 16977 5 Varnedoe Kirk 1987 Gustave Caillebotte New Haven Yale University Press p 220 ISBN 0300082797 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Young Man at His Window amp oldid 1169677975, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
