Meaux. Effect of Sunlight on the Old Chapterhouse 1878

Gustave Caillebotte painted *Meaux. Effect of Sunlight on the Old Chapterhouse* using oil paint on canvas. Oil paint lends itself to capturing the ephemeral effects of light, and here, Caillebotte uses it to explore how sunlight interacts with the architecture of the old chapterhouse. You can almost feel the warmth radiating from the building's walls. But Caillebotte's approach to applying the paint also carries significance. Look at the short, broken brushstrokes he uses to depict the shadows and highlights, a technique very much associated with impressionism and its focus on momentary visual experience. This method of painting, although seemingly spontaneous, required skill and careful observation, so it's less about unskilled labor and more about a deliberate aesthetic choice. Caillebotte’s family wealth meant he didn’t need to produce paintings for income. In this context, the artwork stands as a study in light and form, but also a commentary on the means and possibilities of representation itself.