Gustave Caillebotte: An exhibition that rethinks masculinity in the 19th century

So, Gustave Caillebotte … This name may not mean anything to you, and that’s the whole point. We all know the famous Impressionists – Monet, Renoir, Cézanne – but how many of us could place Caillebotte in this group of legends? Few, probably. However, it was he who, behind the scenes, supported all these people financially and morally. It was thanks to him, among other things, that Impressionism managed to cross the doors of official salons and shake up the art world.

Caillebotte is a painter who, let's be honest, had the privilege of practicing his art without financial pressure. Coming from a wealthy family, he did not need to sell his paintings to live, unlike his colleagues who often nibbled dry bread to make ends meet. He used this luxury to paint Paris and its people. Because yes, where most of his colleagues sought to capture light on landscapes, Caillebotte was interested in the city and especially the people who lived there.

This is where the Musée d'Orsay exhibition becomes fascinating. We discover that more than 70% of the characters that Caillebotte painted are men. And we don't just see gentlemen in top hats, far from it. There are also workers, boaters, men who, through his brush, embody the masculinity of the time. And what does that tell us about the vision of man in the 19th century? A question that you may ask yourself as you wander through the exhibition rooms. The answers vary depending on the paintings: solitary men in deserted streets, gazes lost in contemplation, as if the city were swallowing them up. Caillebotte painted the city but above all, he painted those who lived in it.

But beyond the urban scenes, there is another thing that could be addressed: why this fascination with men? Was it a question of artistic choice, a way of representing the new Paris, or a simple reflection of his own vision of society? If we take a step back, we see that his view of masculinity is not as simple as just painting bodies and faces. We sense a certain melancholy, sometimes even a form of detachment, as if these men were both there, in the action, and elsewhere, in an introspection that only the artist could perceive.

It makes you think, doesn’t it? Maybe there’s something to be learned from his portrayal of men in this changing urban environment. Maybe this exhibition pushes us to reconsider our own vision of masculinity today. How do these men painted over a hundred years ago resonate with men today, in a society where roles and expectations are constantly evolving?

Caillebotte, ultimately, is a bit of an outsider who pushes us to ask ourselves questions, and that's not a bad thing. So, the next time you pass by a painting of his, take a moment. Ask yourself what he wanted to say about the man, about the city, and about this era that seems so far away, but which, in reality, is perhaps not so different from ours.