Rue Halevy, Balcony View 1878

Editor: Looking at Gustave Caillebotte’s "Rue Halevy, Balcony View," from 1878, rendered in oil paint, I am struck by how the light interacts with the buildings. What are your first thoughts on this cityscape? Curator: It’s important to consider what Caillebotte is actually showing us here. He presents a view of Haussmann’s Paris, a Paris radically transformed by urban renewal. Look closely at the application of paint; notice how it mimics the very process of construction and change, thick impasto evoking the weighty materiality of the new buildings. What does this say about labor and the burgeoning bourgeoisie? Editor: I see your point. The construction materials, rebar, plasterwork…well, those don’t appear literally in the painting but Caillebotte seems to be suggesting they exist through the layered applications of paint. Could you expand on how the impressionistic style plays into that? Curator: Exactly. The loose brushwork, which gives the impression of light and fleeting moments, also alludes to the disruption and constant transformation happening at the time. It's as though the city itself is still under construction, both literally and socially. Caillebotte wasn’t simply documenting the beauty; he was showcasing a city defined by its production, its very materials. Editor: So, it is less about aesthetics and more about documenting this moment, the process of this reconstruction of Paris through its labor and new materials, which impressionism allowed. Thank you for drawing my attention to that! Curator: Indeed. It compels us to think about the social implications and economic forces that shape our environment. The material reality, made manifest in paint.