Gustave Caillebotte: Painter and Patron of Impressionism

17 May - 15 September 2019

From May 2019, the Alte Nationalgalerie will be showing an icon of Impressionism: «Street in Paris, Rainy Weather» by Gustave Caillebotte.

Due to its imposing size, «Street in Paris, Rainy Weather» has hardly traveled to Europe in the past. The trend-setting work with its life-size figures and unconventional perspective was presented at the third Impressionist exhibition in 1877 - it stands for the new vision of the Impressionists. The exhibition in the Alte Nationalgalerie also deals with Caillebotte's patronage, who helped finance and organize the first exhibitions of the Impressionists as a collector and patron. In particular, Caillebotte's efforts to establish Impressionism in public collections show parallels to Hugo von Tschudi's purchase policy for the Alte Nationalgalerie.

The exhibition will simultaneously highlight Caillebotte's role as a patron

Close consideration of Caillebotte’s paintings and painting methods opens new perspectives on French Impressionism. Pure painterly appearance is not paramount in his work – his paintings captivate with bold perspectives and structured pictorial space. The seemingly random framing of the view, and the striking immediacy of the image are what particularly underscore the modernity at play here.