View Seen Through a Balcony
Gustave Caillebotte (1848 - 1894), Paris, 1880
oil on canvas, 65.6 cm x 54.9 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the VriendenLoterij, the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, the Mondriaan Fund, the Rembrandt Association, with the additional support from the Cultuurfonds, and the VSBfonds)
Caillebotte used the iron railing of his Parisian balcony to create a scene with a dynamic and modern perspective. The wrought iron curls form a decorative pattern that fills the entire painting. In the distance, we see Boulevard Haussmann with a carriage, an advertising column, and passersby. The pastel tones of the street scene contrast sharply with the dark balcony railing.
The bold composition was inspired by Japanese printmaking, which often featured high vantage points, large areas of colour, and abrupt cropping. This approach influenced artists who were seeking a modern style. Van Gogh, curious about Caillebotte’s work, asked his brother Theo to ‘write and tell me what they’re like.’
- Object number
- s0508S2003
- Dimensions
- 65.6 cm x 54.9 cm, 83.5 cm x 72.5 cm, 10.5 cm
- Provenance
- Given by the artist to his brother, Martial Caillebotte, 1880; after his death on 19 January 1910 bequeathed to his heirs; sold by the heirs of Martial Caillebotte to Wildenstein & Co., New York, 1968; sold by Wildenstein & Co. to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 8 August 2003.
- artist
- Gustave Caillebotte
- Credits (obliged to state)
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (purchased with support from the VriendenLoterij, the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, the Mondriaan Fund, the Rembrandt Association, with the additional support from the Cultuurfonds, and the VSBfonds)
Paris, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme, Marcel Proust, du côté de la mère, 13 April-28 August 2022
Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Gustave Caillebotte - Impressionist and Modern, 18 June-21 November 2021
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Munch : Van Gogh, 24 September 2015-17 January 2016
Oslo, Munch Museum, Van Gogh + Munch, 9 May-6 September 2015, no. 90
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Gustave Caillebotte. Een impressionist en de fotografie, 2 February-20 May 2013, no. zonder nr.
Frankfurt am Main, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Gustave Caillebotte. Ein Impressionist und die Fotografie, 18 October 2012-20 January 2013, no. 47
Nagoya, Nagoya City Art Museum, Van Gogh. The adventure of becoming an artist, 22 February-10 April 2011, no. 73
Fukuoka, Kyushu National Museum, Van Gogh. The adventure of becoming an artist, 28 December 2010-13 February 2011, no. 73
Tokyo, National Art Center, Van Gogh.The adventure of becoming an artist, 1 October-20 December 2010, no. 73
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 125 grote liefdes. Met steun van de Vereniging Rembrandt, 3 October 2008-18 January 2009, no. 271
Bremen, Kunsthalle Bremen, Über das Wasser - Gustave Caillebotte / Gustave Caillebotte. Midt i impressionismen, 29 June-5 October 2008, no. 17
Copenhagen, Ordrupgaard Museum, Über das Wasser - Gustave Caillebotte / Gustave Caillebotte. Midt i impressionismen, no. 17
Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Über das Wasser - Gustave Caillebotte / Gustave Caillebotte. Midt i impressionismen, no. 17
Williamstown, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Impression. Painting Quickly in France 1860-1890, 16 June-8 September 2001, no. 157
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Impressionisme. De vrijheid van de losse toets, 2 March-20 May 2001, no. 157
London, National Gallery (London), Impression. Painting Quickly in France 1860-1890, 1 November 2000-28 January 2001, no. 157
Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Gustave Caillebotte : urban impressionist, 18 February-28 May 1995, no. 66
Paris, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894, 12 September 1994-9 January 1995, no. 66
Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Museum of Art, The crisis of Impressionism, 2 November 1979-6 January 1980, no. 8
Houston, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Gustave Caillebotte. A Retrospective Exhibition, 22 October 1976-2 January 1977, no. 55
New York, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Gustave Caillebotte. A Retrospective Exhibition, no. 55
New York, Wildenstein and Co., Inc., Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894, 18 September-19 October 1968
London, Wildenstein and Co. Ltd, Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894, 15 June-16 July 1966, no. 22
Musée des Beaux-Arts (Chartres), Caillebotte et ses amis impressionistes, 28 June-5 September 1965
Paris, Gustave Caillebotte, 25 May-25 July 1952, no. 34
Paris, 10 rue des Pyramides, 5me Exposition de Peinture, 1-30 April 1880, no. 12
Gleis, Ralph, Hein, Josephine, Monet and the impressionist cityscape, Munich, 2024, pp. 53-54
Ghez, Claude, Galifi della Bagliva, Pietro, Bothereau, Benjamin, Baron, Jean-Marie, Chardeau, Gilles, Guégan, Stéphane, Kaufmann, Martine, Kisiel, Marine, Marchesseau, Daniel, Patin, Sylvie, Perrin, Paul, Rubin, James H., Sainte Fare Garnot, Nicolas, Sautot, Dany, Wittmer, PIerre, Zamani, Daniel, Gustave Caillebotte 1848-1894 : impressionniste et moderne, Zurich, 2021, p. 176-177
Gleis, Ralph, Groenewald-Schmidt, Arnika, Sagner, Karin, Gustave Caillebotte : painter and patron of impressionism, Berlin, 2019, p. 25-26
Müller, Markus, Im Rausch der Farbe : Meisterwerke aus dem Musée d’Art moderne de Troyes von Gauguin bis Matisse, Köln, 2019, p. 85
Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Masterpieces in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2019, p. 86
Darley, Esther, Suijver, Renske, Meesterwerken in het Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2019, p. 86
Cornelis, Bart, Luijten, Ger, Tilborgh, Louis van, Collecting for the public : works that made a difference : essays for Peter Hecht, London, 2016, p. 170-175
Marrinan, M., Gustave Caillebotte : painting the Paris of naturalism, 1872-1887, Los Angeles, 2016, p. 220-229
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Reijden, Marineke van der, Leeuwen, Anna van, Dijksterhuis, E.J., Mondriaan Fonds : aanwinsten : over museale aankopen mede mogelijk gemaakt met de incidentele aankoopregeling van het Mondriaan Fonds, Amsterdam, 2016, p. 83
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Stolwijk, Chris, Suijver, Renske, Berger, Helewise, Dieltjes, Esther, Hendriks, Ella, Van Gogh : the adventure of becoming an artist, Tokyo, 2010, p. 126, 247
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Leeuw, Ronald de, Leighton, John, Duparc, F., Straaten, Evert J. van, Een lot uit de loterij : museale aanwinsten dankzij de Sponsor Loterij (1998-2004), Otterlo, 2004, p. 23
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Esner, Rachel, Heugten, Sjraar van, Jansen, Leo, Stolwijk, Chris, Madsen, Jan Gorm, Vellekoop, Marije, Van Gogh Museum Journal 2003, Amsterdam, 2003, p. 120-122
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